Detroit Lions-New York Giants joint practices: 5 matchups to watch before preseason game

The Detroit Lions host the New York Giants for joint practices Tuesday and Wednesday and their preseason opener Friday, and Lions coach Dan Campbell said facing a new opponent two weeks into training camp will be good for his squad.

“It’s a fresh look at somebody else and I love that cause camp, you got to be careful,” Campbell said. “You get into the same routine, the rut, the mundane and you don’t really ever go, you’re just spinning your wheels so this will be good for us.”

The Giants went 9-7-1 last season and beat the Minnesota Vikings in a wild card game. They return the core of that team, and added new starters at tight end (Darren Waller), cornerback (Deonte Banks) and wide receiver (Parris Campbell) this offseason.

Here are five matchups I’ll be keeping an eye on when the Lions and Giants take the field Tuesday morning:

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Giants NT Dexter Lawrence vs. Lions C Frank Ragnow

Lawrence and Ragnow are two of the best at their positions in the NFL. Lawrence was a second-team All-Pro last year, while Ragnow made his second Pro Bowl despite battling a toe problem all season.

Both the Lions and Giants are strong throughout the trenches, so this matchup might as well be line-on-line. Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale loves to blitz, and does so out of exotic looks, and the Lions have one of the best offensive fronts in the league.

Ragnow’s intelligence was a big reason the Lions handled the Giants' defense last season, allowing just nine pressures in a 31-18 win. But Lawrence still had seven tackles in that game and has the potential to wreck any play. In one-on-ones and team drills, these two should put on a clinic this week.

Lions run defense vs. Giants RB Saquon Barkley

We’ll see how much work Barkley gets in joint practices, I’m guessing not much. But there’s no denying his perch among the best running backs in the NFL. He can make defenders miss and run over them, and he’s good out of the backfield as a receiver.

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The Lions held Barkley to a season-low 22 yards on 15 carries last year, the first of nine straight sub-100-yard rushing days he had to finish the season (including the playoffs). They were subpar against the run overall (146.5 ypg; 29th in the NFL), however, and are banking that late-season changes they made in scheme and personnel will carry over to 2023.

Jack Campbell has taken starting reps at inside linebacker for the Lions recently, and Brodric Martin has played his way into the rotation at defensive tackle. For both rookies, there’s no better welcome-to-the-NFL than facing one of the game’s elite talents.

Lions WR Jameson Williams vs. Giants CBs

Williams missed Saturday’s practice for personal reasons but is expected back this week. He should get a heavy dose of playing time in both practices and Friday’s game the Lions try and speed up his learning curve with a six-game suspension looming to start the season.

Williams has been a mixed bag in practices this summer, showing tantalizing burst but inconsistent hands. The Lions are thin at receiver beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown and need Williams to come along quickly to reach their potential on offense.

The Giants have two rookies in their playing group at cornerback, Banks, their first-round choice, and Tre Hawkins, a sixth-rounder. They’re not exactly the No Fly Zone, but for Williams, they should still be a good gauge of where’s at.

Lions DB Brian Branch vs. Giants slot WRs

Speaking of rookie defensive backs, Branch has made a favorable impression through two weeks of camp and is in line to play big minutes as the Lions’ slot cornerback. He’s a good blitzer, solid in coverage and has been a ball magnet with pass breakups, interceptions and forced fumbles.

The Giants retooled their receiving corps this offseason, signing Campbell and Jamison Crowder as free agents and drafting Jalin Hyatt in the second round. Campbell and Crowder have both played largely out of the slot in their careers, as have Sterling Shepard and Cole Beasley.

The Lions have one of the NFL’s best slot receivers in St. Brown, so Branch has gotten plenty of good work this summer. But he’ll get a variety of looks in one-on-ones this week and can’t neglect his run duties in team work.

Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson vs. Giants RT Evan Neal

Ideally, Hutchinson will get some work against Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Thomas in one-on-ones, but since he plays primarily on the left side in the Lions’ defense, I’m guessing most of his reps will come against the Giants’ right tackle.

Hutchinson had a nice rookie season with 9.5 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries, and he seems poised for an even bigger 2023. He’s had an excellent camp, and I’m sure the Giants haven’t forgotten how his play — he had an INT and fumble recovery — keyed the Lions’ victory last year.

Neal is in concussion protocol, so his availability isn’t clear this week. But if he’s on the field, the 2022 draft classmates — Hutchinson was the second overall pick, Neal went No. 7 — should get some good work in against each other.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions vs. New York Giants joint practices: 5 matchups to watch