Allen Park — The Detroit Lions opted against having a local day ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and GM Brad Holmes skipped the league's owners meetings so he could better focus on pre-draft preparations.
And now, the latest we've learned: The team has nixed rookie minicamp.
All of these offseason alterations are the result of what Holmes described as a "long, hard look at every single thing from top to bottom" by himself and coach Dan Campbell following the 2025 campaign, Detroit's first without a playoff berth since 2022.
"We’re not doing things just to do it just because you feel like you have to do it," Holmes said Saturday, shortly after he capped his 2026 draft class with a couple of defensive linemen in the sixth and seventh rounds. "You can’t be scared when you want to try something new that you think is going to be better for the football team, and so that’s what we did, and that’s why some things ... from a calendar standpoint, look like they’re removed. But there are other things that are going to take their place that we feel are going to be more beneficial for us."
More: Who did Detroit Lions pick in 2026 NFL Draft? See all 7 selections
As for what's being subbed in for rookie minicamp, which is traditionally held two weeks after the draft, Holmes declined to reveal, perhaps protecting a competitive advantage he believes the Lions have by keeping it a secret.
"I just can’t say it," Holmes said. "We’re not just removing (rookie minicamp) just to use it as idle time to twiddle our thumbs. It’s something that we’re utilizing to put in place of that, that we feel is going to be more efficient and better for us."
Rookie minicamp is usually comprised of three days of practice for rookies (both drafted and undrafted) and players on tryouts. There were 19 players on a tryout in Allen Park last year, including eventual signees Luke Deal, Malik Taylor, Raequan Williams, Tyson Russell and Keith Cooper Jr.
Asked on April 13 why the Lions didn't host a local day, Holmes explained, "We kind of made a decision to utilize that time for some other things, but ... we still utilize the local visits. We just made the decision, really last summer, to do away with the pro day. And we’ll see how it goes. If we feel like we missed something by not doing it, we’ll look at it and adjust again."
Two of the seven players drafted by the Lions in 2026 (defensive end Derrick Moore and linebacker Jimmy Rolder) attended Michigan. Others went to Clemson (offensive tackle Blake Miller), Arizona State (cornerback Keith Abney II), Kentucky (receiver Kendrick Law), Texas Tech (defensive tackle Skyler Gill-Howard) and Tennessee (defensive lineman Tyre West).
Players already on Detroit's roster reported to Allen Park for the first day of the organization's offseason program on April 20. The Lions have OTA workouts scheduled for May 26-27 and 29, June 1-2 and 4, and June 15-16 and 18. Mandatory minicamp is set for June 9-11.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Lions opt against rookie minicamp as adjustments continue