For a lot of players on NFL rosters, training camp is all about getting into the flow of things.

Others, however, are fighting for their lives.

To continue our training camp preview series, here are three players who are entering make-or-break camps. These are younger players who, at one point, had relatively intriguing expectations, but now find themselves entering critical periods of their Lions tenures without much on their résumés to show for it.

Brodric Martin, defensive tackle

Brodric Martin is, by far, the player with the most to lose (or gain) at training camp. General manager Brad Holmes traded up to take the player with a third-round pick (96th overall) in the 2023 draft, and thus far, his impact has not been felt. After one of his most impressive performances to date in last year’s preseason opener, Martin suffered a hyperextended knee in the finale; he began the season on injured reserve and wasn’t activated until Nov. 20, appearing in just two games.

In some fairness to Martin, he was a “project” pick to begin with, so his hypothetical arrival in 2025 could still be considered on cue. But that’s still a tough hill to climb at this point, especially after the Lions signed Roy Lopez in free agency and added Tyleik Williams via the draft, with Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike set to take up two more spots on the roster when they return from injury. Entering camp (and excluding Onwuzurike and McNeill), Martin’s been turned into the fifth man on the depth chart at best — not exactly a vote of confidence for the idea that he can contribute.

But the Onwuzurike injury gives Martin a path to the roster, and if he truly turns a corner in camp, the Lions will make room for him. You don’t draft a developmental player only to cut him loose after he finally begins progressing (especially considering he battled injuries last year). On the flip side, you have to wonder if the team would be ready to go in separate directions should Martin have a quiet showing.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker

Hendon Hooker was also taken in the third round of the 2023 draft, a prospect with high upside and NFL-ready maturity who could eventually be the perfect foil to Jared Goff as a backup.

He recovered from a torn ACL during his rookie season and got his first legitimate snaps during 2024 OTAs, when he was dealing with a broken finger. Training camp — his first — was disrupted by a concussion, suffered in the preseason opener. So while he’s entering Year 3, he really only began his development about 14 months ago, and injuries derailed the crucial windows.

The temperature of Hooker’s seat isn’t on fire by any means — it’s hard to imagine a world where he gets cut — but he needs to show growth in this camp and preseason, where he’ll benefit from the team having an extra exhibition game. If he shows signs of regression, perhaps the Lions will be ready to take another shot at getting their high-upside backup in the 2026 draft.

But of every player on the roster, nobody will benefit from an extra preseason game as much as Hooker, so this is going to be a big stretch for him.

Offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal

Expectations spiked for Colby Sorsdal after he made three starts (with 16 total appearances) as a rookie, but they quickly fell back to earth as the 2023 fifth-rounder appeared in just two contests last season.

Point blank, it’s going to be tough for Sorsdal to make the team. He’s in a similar situation to Martin, where he’s entering training camp behind the eight-ball in a room with solid depth (even after the retirement of Frank Ragnow and the free-agent departure of Kevin Zeitler).

The one saving grace for Sorsdal is that he does possess some versatility — he played tackle in college and guard as a rookie — so that could work in his favor if he’s on the bubble, especially given the turnover in the Lions’ offensive line room this offseason.