The Detroit Lions have seen several members of their defense dealing with injuries during the early portion of the offseason into training camp.
While the front seven has seen some big names bitten by the injury bug thus far, namely Alim McNeill and Josh Paschal, the secondary has been impacted noticeably as well, with players like Terrion Arnold, Khalil Dorsey, Morice Norris, and Dan Jackson among the walking wounded on the defense in one way or another.
One newcomer to the Lions' roster appears to be taking advantage of the opportunities that have come with these injuries, however. According to Al Karsten of PrideOfDetroit.com, Dan Campbell gushed over recent signing Nick Whiteside during a press conference on Monday.
Dan Campbell gave a glowing review of recently signed CB Nick Whiteside:
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 11, 2025
• Jokingly called him “Ironsides” twice
• Loves players who come in ready to compete
• Says there’s urgency on guys in his position, they know the opportunity is there, and it can be challenging
• The…
New Lions CB Nick Whiteside Already on Dan Campbell's Good Side
Whiteside standing out to Campbell isn't a major surprise after his performance in Detroit's preseason matchup against the Atlanta Falcons this past weekend. According to Pro Football Focus, Whiteside graded out at 84.6, which made him the third-best player on Detroit's defense and the fourth-best Lion to take the field regardless of what side of the ball they're on.
The defender still has work to do before he can feel comfortable in his skin as a member of the Lions' defense for the 2025 campaign. Based on Campbell's comments from Monday and his PFF grades from this past weekend's exhibition game, the 25-year-old cornerback could be on the verge of finding a home in the NFL.
After beginning his career as an undrafted free agent out of Saginaw Valley State, Whiteside used a successful stint in the UFL to earn his opportunity in Detroit. Now that he is in camp with the Lions, the defender is looking to make the most of that opportunity.
Injuries open up opportunities for other players further down the roster, however. This is why the "next man up" mentality carries more weight in the game of football than it does in many other sports. With the type of physical punishment players encounter with every snap of the ball, you are always one play away from having your number called.
So far, Whiteside has done enough to make Detroit's head coach notice him among the crowd. We'll find out soon enough just how well Whiteside can keep Campbell's attention as camp moves forward.