​It’s the dog days of summer for every football fan out there. The stretch after the draft in April to August can not only be long, but it can also get exhausting. For example, as much as I’d like to create speculation about how I think the Lions could trade for Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby, it’s still not a trade option that feels very realistic.Not always having conviction towards what the Lions do can become problematic. Especially in my profession. But seeing the way that Brad Holmes and the Lions have operated over the years has forced me to become that way.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt brings me back to the keyword: conviction.When talking about the Lions, there has to be some sort of conviction behind it. So as the Lions work their way through OTAs, minicamps and different types of workouts, here are three things that I’m convinced of with the current state of the Detroit Lions:I was going to include Aidan Hutchinson into this conversation, but despite coming off a serious leg injury, Hutchinson had an exceptional bounce back season in 2025. He finished with 14.5 total sacks and 14 tackles for loss. With a full, healthy offseason to not worry about different types of rehab, I’d expect Hutch to have similar or even better production this upcoming season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe same could be said about Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill.In 2025, we saw McNeill return from a torn ACL and play 10 games for the Lions. For McNeill, his fifth season in the NFL wasn’t as productive as previous years. He only recorded 14 total tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. The box score might not look ideal, but, fortunately, McNeill played 77% of snaps on defense and has admitted to the media that he finally feels like himself again.Knowing that McNeill probably played with caution in 2025 is actually encouraging. The reason I say this is due to the fact that he appears to be in the best shape of his career. Currently looking stronger and faster than he ever has in a Lions uniform, I’ve got a feeling that we could be seeing the best version of the Lions 72nd overall pick from the 2021 NFL Draft.As much as I like the selection of Blake Miller for the Lions, I can’t help but gush when talking about what Skyler Gill-Howard can provide the Lions’ defense. Gill-Howard has some really fun and explosive tape from the 2025 season with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite being undersized at 6-foot, 280 pounds, SGH is quick off the snap and is consistently playing with low pad level. I love the urgency that he shows on tape and throughout much of the summer, I’ll be playing close attention to how the Lions fit him into the rotation on the interior.Throughout the early portions of the summer, it’s been reported that he hasn’t done much to separate himself from the pack, but it’s still early. With more time and more reps, I think Gill-Howard can continue to get better a