{"id":964397,"date":"2026-08-04T23:15:15","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:15:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/964397\/"},"modified":"2026-08-04T23:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T23:15:15","slug":"detroit-lions-tate-ratledge-ennis-rakestraw-jr-devin-white-greg-dortch-talk-roles-big-expectations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/964397\/","title":{"rendered":"Detroit Lions\u2019 Tate Ratledge, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Devin White, Greg Dortch talk roles, big expectations"},"content":{"rendered":"

ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 The Detroit Lions<\/a>\u2019 offense answered a challenge Tuesday at training camp, and second-year offensive lineman Tate Ratledge<\/a> said it was exactly what the unit needed.<\/p>\n

Head coach Dan Campbell<\/a> told players the defense had won Monday\u2019s padded practice session. That message lit a fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, we all knew we needed to come out and be more physical today,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of the flow of camp. The defense is good for a few days, the offense is good for a few days. It\u2019s about riding the wave and staying consistent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ratledge sees growth in year two<\/p>\n

Ratledge said the offensive line has adopted a sharper mentality this season, even with several new starters in the mix.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the attitude as a whole, the physical attitude, the mindset in the meeting room and on the field is different this year,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cI\u2019d say it\u2019s a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n

After describing his rookie season as \u201cdrinking from a fire hose,\u201d Ratledge said the game has slowed down considerably entering his second NFL season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m seeing the big picture now, not just my assignment,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cThings have slowed down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chemistry with new linemates remains a work in progress, but Ratledge said daily reps are closing the gap quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re out here for,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cEvery day it just gets a little bit better.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Lions have made re-establishing one of the NFL\u2019s top rushing attacks a priority following offseason changes along the offensive line. Ratledge said there\u2019s no mistaking how much running the ball matters to this offense.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to be able to run the ball,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cBeing able to run the ball opens up everything else in the offense. Being able to run the ball at will is demoralizing to another team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ratledge credited daily battles against Detroit\u2019s defensive front for helping build the unit\u2019s confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going against a really good defense and a really good defensive line,\u201d Ratledge said. \u201cIt\u2019s really testing us and building us up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rakestraw focused on staying healthy<\/p>\n

Cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr.<\/a> said his top priority entering his second training camp is straightforward: stay on the field. Injuries limited him throughout his rookie season, and he said his mindset has shifted accordingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just focus on today,\u201d Rakestraw Jr. said. \u201cHealthy today, thank God, go fix what I need to fix tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former second-round pick said he has embraced a next-play mentality as a way to stay present and avoid repeating mistakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I go out there and still think about what happened last play, it could happen again,\u201d Rakestraw Jr. said. \u201cNext-play mentality with everything I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rakestraw Jr. acknowledged the weight of expectations that come with being a high draft selection, and said he\u2019s motivated by them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve got to step up big this year,\u201d Rakestraw Jr. said. \u201cMy teammates depend on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

White settling into new defense<\/p>\n

Veteran linebacker Devin White<\/a> said he\u2019s keeping his focus simple: earn a role through preparation, not by worrying about the depth chart.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is just to be the best version of myself,\u201d White said. \u201cBe a great teammate and play hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

White praised linebacker Jack Campbell<\/a> for his command of Detroit\u2019s defensive system and his ability to keep the unit on the same page.<\/p>\n

\u201cJack\u2019s a great communicator,\u201d White said. \u201cHe really knows this playbook in and out.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion said Campbell\u2019s message to play fast and trust his instincts has resonated.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just run out there as fast as I can,\u201d White said. \u201cIf I keep doing that and stay humble, my role will increase.\u201d<\/p>\n

White added that he\u2019s trusting the coaching staff\u2019s workload plan while continuing to put in extra conditioning work after practice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got a plan for me, and I\u2019m trusting the plan,\u201d White said.<\/p>\n

Dortch embracing versatility<\/p>\n

Wide receiver Greg Dortch<\/a> said settling into Detroit\u2019s offense has come naturally, in large part because of a familiar face on the coaching staff.<\/p>\n

Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing<\/a> and Dortch previously worked together in Arizona, and Dortch said that history has made a difference.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving Drew here makes things comfortable for me,\u201d Dortch said. \u201cI\u2019m able to play faster.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dortch said he\u2019s open to contributing however the team needs, whether at receiver or on special teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever I can help the team win, that\u2019s what I want to do,\u201d Dortch said.<\/p>\n

He also welcomed the return of padded practices with open arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s football,\u201d Dortch said. \u201cYou can\u2019t play football without getting tackled.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dortch compared Detroit\u2019s offensive talent to one of the strongest groups he was part of in Arizona and said the Lions\u2019 culture made an immediate impression.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can tell winning is serious here,\u201d Dortch said. \u201cThey love their football, so I\u2019m excited to be a part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALLEN PARK, Mich. \u2013 The Detroit Lions\u2019 offense answered a challenge Tuesday at training camp, and second-year offensive…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":964398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2071],"tags":[6214,146,113,2506,10350,24101,21263,7,11500,16688,147,6,628],"class_list":["post-964397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-detroit-lions","tag-dan-campbell","tag-detroit","tag-detroit-lions","tag-detroitlions","tag-devin-white","tag-drew-petzing","tag-ennis-rakestraw-jr","tag-football","tag-greg-dortch","tag-jack-campbell","tag-lions","tag-nfl","tag-tate-ratledge"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/117039787116710004","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/964397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=964397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/964397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/964398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=964397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=964397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=964397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}