Personal reasons will keep Lions head coach Dan Campbell from attending the team's rookie minicamp

In all, the Lions drafted six players over six rounds back in April and the list is headlined by the trade up to take former Alabama Crimson Tide cornerback, Terrion Arnold, in the first round at No. 24 overall. Detroit traded the 29th overall pick and the 73rd overall pick (third-round) to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for No. 24 overall and a 2025 seventh-rounder. Arnold was considered by many to be the draft's top cornerback, as well as one of the top overall defenders in the class.

The team then added 15 undrafted free agents, which means they should have at least 21 players attending this weekend's camp. There will also be a handful of tryout players, as well. 

The rookie minicamp marks the first post-draft step toward building off of the 2023 season, which is considered to be one of the most -if not the most- successful seasons in team history. The Lions won the NFC North for the first time since 1993, won 12 games for just the second time since the franchise's existence and since 1991, and made it to the conference championship for the first time since 1991.

The Lions return a lot of the same core players from last year's roster, too, which only bodes well for this year's prospects/expectations. If this rookie draft class can have the same impact, or simply close to the impact, that Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch had, then it's really easy to see why the Lions will contend for yet another spot in the NFC Championship game, and even the next step, in 2024. 

Campbell is entering his fourth year as Lions head coach and has amassed a 24-26-1 record since 2021.