The Detroit Lions will kick off the preseason on Thursday, as Dan Campbell's squad will travel to Paycor Stadium to square off against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Detroit will not play most of its key players against Cincinnati, but we could see some potential starters take the field. That's because there are still a bunch of position battles that have yet to be decided.
That said, with the preseason opener on the horizon, let's predict the winners of the Lions' major position battles that are still unresolved.
Starting Left Guard
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This was one of the premier position battles entering camp, but it's trending one direction right now. Christian Mahogany is the clear frontrunner to be starting left guard for the second straight year, as the former Day 3 pick has been taking most of the first-team reps since returning from the Active/Non-Football Injury list.
Miles Frazier, Juice Scruggs, and Ben Bartch provided some level of competition to Mahogany, but none of them will be able to overtake him, especially with Frazier being used more in a utility role and Scruggs moving back to center after the Cade Mays injury.
Mahogany will be the starting left guard come Week 1, and Detroit is banking on him showing improvement.
Winner: Christian Mahogany
Starting Center
The Lions need to find a new starting center for the time being, as Mays is set to miss time in the regular season with a wrist injury. Scruggs, Seth McLaughlin, and Michael Niese are the top contenders for the role.
Though Scruggs is dealing with a soft tissue injury and likely won't play in Thursday's preseason contest, this job is his to lose when he returns. The Penn State product started eight games at center during his time with the Houston Texans and flashed some promise, though he still needs to put it all together.
McLaughlin and Niese could make the position battle interesting, but more likely than not, Scruggs will be the starter until Mays is back in the lineup.
Winner: Juice Scruggs
No. 2 Cornerback
With the Lions releasing Terrion Arnold due to his off-the-field legal issues, they have been sorting through in-house options for his replacement as the No. 2 boundary cornerback opposite D.J. Reed.
The competition was initially between Rock Ya-Sin and Ennis Rakestraw Jr., but Nick Whiteside is also in the running with his impressive camp performance. Tuesday's practice signaled that Ya-Sin and Whiteside are the finalists.
Whiteside has had a standout camp and should make the roster, but the Lions will likely lean toward Ya-Sin, given that he was reliable when called upon last year and has 45 career starts under his belt.
Winner: Rock Ya-Sin
Weakside Linebacker
Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes are locked in as starters for the Lions, but defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard needs to find a replacement for Alex Anzalone at the weakside spot, especially with Barnes playing multiple spots.
Though Malcolm Rodriguez seemed destined to capture the job, an ankle injury held him out of practice for a week, and during his absence, free-agent signing Devin White has swooped in and seized the position.
White is a tackling machine who struggles mightily in coverage, but Detroit will likely count on him to play a pivotal role on the defense. A linebacker trio of Jack Campbell, Barnes, and White should patrol the middle of the field at a high level for the Lions.
It should be noted that rookie Jimmy Rolder could have also been a contender to be the starting weakside backer, but he's been out for nearly two weeks with an injury and it doesn't look like he'll back anytime soon. Injuries and a solid fit have caused White to be the leader of the clubhouse here.
Winner: Devin White
