Previously on Lions Wire, I listed ten players to watch in Lions minicamp who are recovering from injury. Now, here are Lions‘ players who have recovered from significant injury, but carry lingering question marks.
#1 Thomas Harper, S
- Injury: Two concussions (December 2025)
Thomas Harper concussion video
-Takes hip to head in 1st clip which I suspect is main cause of concussion.
-3 plays later takes another hit and appears to stagger getting up. Left game after that.
-2nd concussion of szn which almost certainly puts him out for season finale pic.twitter.com/DC1zYzb1qp— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) December 28, 2025
Thomas Harper concussion video
-Hard hit to side of head
-Clear, obvious signs of concussion with difficulty getting up and wobbly when standing. Will be out for game. pic.twitter.com/qSuHXKcXcc— Jimmy Liao MD | Detroit Lions Morning Rounds (@JimmyLiaoMD) December 5, 2025
As you can see in the injury videos, both of Harper’s concussions have the same mechanism – lowering his head and taking a leg to the right side of his helmet. There are multiple concerns moving forward:
- A possible lowered concussion threshold.
- A prolonged absence with the next concussion.
- The need to change his tackling technique which could decrease his effectiveness.
Look for Harper to focus on a heads-up tackling technique during practice.
#2 Ennis Rakestraw, CB
- Injury: Shoulder surgery (August 2025)
This third-year CB gets the dubious distinction of being on both Part 1 (current illness) and Part 2 (shoulder) of the minicamp watchlist.
After two straight seasons marred by injuries, Rakestraw has reportedly added some bulk to his frame to help deal with the physical nature of the NFL.
#3 Levi Onwuzurike, DT
- Injury: ACL surgery (~May 2025)
After signing a 1-year free agent deal with $3.5M guaranteed in the 2025 offseason, Onwuzurike underwent ACL surgery about a month later. The curious timing of how that played out made me question the Lions’ interest in retaining him after his contract tolled.
The fact that the Lions are giving him a chance means that the ACL recovery must be going smoothly. However, there can be a lag in full recovery from an ACL, which might make the difference between Levi making the roster or not.
#4 Giovanni Manu, OL
- Injury: Knee (October 2025)
A practice knee injury wiped out the rest of Manu’s 2025 season. There are no details regarding the knee injury, but residuals are always a possibility – especially if cartilage was involved. Entering his third year, this could be make-or-break time for him.
For nine more players on the watchlist, see Lions 2026 Minicamp Watchlist: Residual Concerns..
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions Minicamp Watchlist: Injuries with Residual Concerns
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