DETROIT — Jahmir Gibbs was completely surprised when his phone rang as early as it did on April 27th.
In one of the biggest first-day upsets of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions used their top two first-round picks (No. 6 overall) to win back six spots and reclaim No. 12 Alabama.
Gibbs became the franchise’s highest draft pick since his favorite player, Barry Sanders, finished third in 1989, which he said was an honor he couldn’t have imagined happening on the big day.
“I mean, I thought like in the ’20s,” Gibbs said of his higher-than-expected casting. “That’s where they usually are, like running back. So, I was still talking to my friends, and then the call hit me, and I was shocked.”
Gibbs wasn’t the only one stunned by early selection either. Many Lions fans expressed their surprise through social media, while some draft experts criticized the use of such an outstanding running back selection.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes bombed the table in celebration inside the team’s war room before calling Gibbs to welcome him to Detroit. Six picks later, on the 18th, Holmes was equally happy to call Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell with the same news. In all, the Lions made eight total draft picks over the three days with two clear goals in mind: get to the postseason in 2023, and get their starters to contribute right away. Holmes & Co. is pleased that last week’s draft represented a positive step in that direction.
“I said during the combination – ‘What’s the off-season goal?'” I just said, ‘Look, we don’t want to take a step back. We don’t want to remain stagnant. We appreciate and are very proud of the success we had last year, but we didn’t make the playoffs,” Holmes said immediately after the draft. “We didn’t make the playoffs, which isn’t good enough. We’ve got to get to the point as a football team where we can put ourselves in a position where we can get into the postseason and hopefully make some noise.”
Holmes entered the draft saying the Lions would “get the right football player” for the team—ultimately resulting in Gibbs and Campbell being drafted in the first round—regardless of position.
This idea arose from the Lions being comfortable with their actions during the free agency window, which included the addition of Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Mosley as well as safety CJ Gardner Johnson to the worst defense in the league. They also re-signed defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs and key fielder Alex Anzalone, allowing them to grab players in the draft that the Lions felt could contribute on the field immediately.
It doesn’t always line up that way, but it does. I think you take Jahmyr Gibbs, it’s now. It’s day 1 [contributor]. Now, again, take into account that they are beginners. “They are all beginners,” said Holmes. But we expect it to have an immediate effect.
“Jack Campbell, we expect him to make an immediate impact.”
Gibbs was the Alabama leader in rushing (926 yards) and receptions (44), and the Lions expect him to complement former Chicago Bears David Montgomery, who signed with Detroit as a free agent to replace the departing Jamal Williams.
When drafting Gibbs, the Lions sent D’Andre Swift—who played a similar double threat role—to the Philadelphia Eagles, clearing the way for Gibbs to see the field early and more often.
“He adds value also in the passing game and it’s a big, big value. Then you add that to what he can do from a dynamic standpoint and in the running game, and at the end of the day it’s about value,” Lions running backs coach Scotty Montgomery said of Gibbs. “It’s one of those situations where I look at her and Brad W [Lions coach] And [Campbell] Looking at him, there was value they saw in this young man. There was value they saw in him, and we made the decision to go get him.”
The Lions added tight end Sam LaPorta (Pick No. 34) and wide receiver Antoine Green (Pick No. 219) to join Gibbs on offense.
LaPorta is Iowa’s all-time tight leading in receptions (153) and also ranks second in receiving (1,786), while Green averaged 17.1 air yards per target last year, which was fourth-highest in the FBS.
With his ability to catch passes, Laporta could emerge as a key threat for the Lions at the end of next season. Detroit used the committee approach on a tight end, with Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra, and James Mitchell all ditching Detroit after Detroit traded Pro Bowler TJ Hockenson, another former Hock, to the Minnesota Vikings.
And although the Lions signed veteran receiver Marvin Jones Jr., In free agency, however, Green can add depth to a successful receiving team with recent suspensions to 2022’s No. 12 player overall Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill, who will both miss six games. Violation of the NFL’s gambling policy. Detroit also released wide receiver Quintez Cephus after he was also suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games.
Campbell is one of the few defensive players the Lions expect to tackle in early innings.
Lions coach Kelvin Sheppard expects Campbell — a former Butkus Award winner — to promptly help a defense that finishes 30th in yards per rush allowed, doing a similar job to fellow backups Malcolm Rodriguez and Derek Barnes.
“He’s mostly a nickel with a couple of midfielders in there. You have to be able to work in both places, change movement, things like that. So, in my opinion, we wouldn’t have taken that player there if we didn’t feel that way, Sheppard said of Campbell. “It’s definitely some diversity there.”
In addition to Campbell, the Lions selected Alabama safety Brian Branch at No. 45.
Detroit’s defense allowed 82 plays from 20+ yards last season, which was the most in the NFL. At Alabama, Branch converted 98% of his tackle attempts in 2022, which ranked first among all FBS defensive backs.
The Lions are hoping his instincts can help curb some of those big plays in 2023.
“He just plays the game the way we play it, and like the way we want to play it. He’s very instinctive. He’s very physical. He’s one of the best tacklers. He’s very athletic,” Holmes said of Branch. It’s a good size. He was someone else when he came to visit, he was kind of looking him in the eye and you could feel it. You can just feel that he wants to be cool. This put it over the top for me. I didn’t think he’d be there, but we caught him.”
But not all of those recruited were meant to be people of immediate impact.
While the Lions are looking to win now, they also likely have a chance at a quarterback in the future. Goff is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but he’s also set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024 season. So when Hendon Hooker — Heisman frontrunner before tearing his ACL in his left knee in November — was available in the third round, The Lions saw good value in the 68th pick.
Not only will he have time to heal his knee, but he’ll also learn Goff’s behind before any expectations are placed on him.
“Obviously he’s going to be a rookie. He’s going to have to transition into playing with a different kind of scheme. We’re really excited about his development,” Holmes said of Hooker. “How the NFL is ready is a lot of players you get, and that’s just Part of the normal development process. And again, it’s just a testament that I think we have the right situation for him to just come and sit down, and see how Jared and [backup QB] Nate [Sudfeld] Do things, and just evolve.”
After starting last season 1-6, Detroit won eight of their last 10 games to finish 9-8, which was their first winning season since 2017. They now have hopes of making another move this year to break the longest winning streak in the NFL. Playoff victory drought, with some new rookies on the team feeling they can help.
“We feel really confident about the work we’re doing and what these guys are going to do in the field,” said Holmes. “I think our fans are going to be really proud and really excited about what they see. I’m not saying like a year or two ago, we think these guys are ready to go now.”