A running back at 12? A linebacker at 18? Lions made picks with only playoffs in mind

DETROIT — Jahmyr Gibbs was totally surprised when his phone rang as early as it did on April 27.

In one of the biggest Day 1 surprises of the 2023 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions used their highest of two first-round picks (No. 6 overall) to trade back six spots and take the Alabama running back at No. 12.

Gibbs became the franchise’s highest-drafted running back since his favorite player, Barry Sanders, was taken third overall in 1989, which he said was an honor he couldn’t have imagined happening entering the big day.

“I mean, I thought like in the 20s,” Gibbs said of being selected higher than anticipated. “That’s where they usually are, like running backs. So, I was still just talking to my friends, then the call hit me, and I was shocked.”

Gibbs wasn’t the only one shocked by the early selection, either. Many Lions fans voiced their astonishment through social media, while some draft experts were critical of using such a premium pick on a running back.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes pounded the table in celebration inside the team’s war room before calling Gibbs to welcome him to Detroit. Six picks later, at No. 18, Holmes was just as 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: to reach the postseason in 2023, and have their rookies contribute right away. And Holmes & Co. feel good that last week’s draft represented a positive step in that direction.

“I said during the combine — ‘What’s the goal of the offseason?’ I just said, ‘Look, we don’t want to take a step back. We don’t want to stay stagnant.’ We appreciate and we are extremely proud of the success that we had last year, but we didn’t make the playoffs,” Holmes said immediately following the draft. “We didn’t make the playoffs, and that’s not 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 in the postseason, and hopefully make some noise.”

Holmes entered the draft saying the Lions would “get the right football player” for the team — which ultimately resulted in Gibbs and Campbell in the first round — regardless of position.

That idea stemmed from the Lions being comfortable with their business during the free agency window, which included adding cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley in addition to safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a league-worst defense. They also re-signed defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs and leading tackler Alex Anzalone, which allowed them to grab guys in the draft the Lions felt could contribute on the field right away.

“It doesn’t always line up that way, but it does. I think you take a Jahmyr Gibbs, he’s right now. He’s Day 1 [contributor]. Now, again, you take into account that they are rookies. They’re all rookies,” Holmes said. “But we expect him to make an immediate impact.

“Jack Campbell, we expect him to make an immediate impact.”

Gibbs was Alabama’s leader in rushing (926 yards) and receptions (44), and the the Lions are expecting him to complement former Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery, who signed with Detroit as a free agent to replace the departed Jamaal Williams.

Upon drafting Gibbs, the Lions sent running back D’Andre Swift — who filled a similar dual-threat role — to the Philadelphia Eagles, clearing the way for Gibbs to see the field early and often.

“He’s bringing a value also in the passing game that’s a large, large value. Then you add that to what he can do from a dynamic standpoint and in the run game, and at the end of the day it is about value,” Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said of Gibbs. “It’s one of those situations where you looked at it and as Brad and [Lions coach] Dan [Campbell] looked at it, there was a value that they saw in this young man. There was a value that 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 end leader in receptions (153) who also ranks second in receiving yards (1,786), while Green averaged 17.1 air yards per target last year, which was the fourth-highest in FBS.

With his pass-catching ability, LaPorta could emerge as the Lions’ main threat at tight end next season. Detroit used a committee approach at tight end, with Brock Wright, Shane Zylstra and James Mitchell all chipping in after Detroit traded away Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson, another former Hawkeye, to the Minnesota Vikings.

And although the Lions signed veteran receiver Marvin Jones Jr. in free agency, Green can add depth to a receiving corps that took a hit with the recent suspensions to 2022’s No. 12 overall pick Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill, who will miss six games for violating 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 a couple defensive players the Lions expect to step into early roles.

Lions linebacker coach Kelvin Sheppard anticipates Campbell — a former Butkus Award winner — immediately helping a run defense that finished 30th in yards per rush allowed, and doing a job similar to fellow backers Malcolm Rodriguez and Derrick Barnes.

“It’s mostly nickel with two linebackers out there. You have to be able to operate at both spots, change the motion, and 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 versatility there.”

In addition to Campbell, the Lions selected Alabama safety Brian Branch at No. 45.

Detroit’s defense allowed 82 plays of 20-plus yards last season, which were the most in the NFL. At Alabama, Branch converted 98% of his tackle attempts in 2022, which ranked No. 1 among all FBS defensive backs.

The Lions are hoping his instincts and sure tackling can help limit some of those big plays in 2023.

“He just plays the game how we play it and, like, the style of how we want to play. He’s very instinctive. He’s very physical. He’s one of the better tacklers. He’s very athletic,” Holmes said of Branch. “The guy can bend, change directions. He’s got good size. He was another one that when he came in on his visit, just kind of looking him in his eye and you can just feel him. You can just feel that he wants to be great. That put it over the top for me. I didn’t think that he was going to be there, but we were jacked that he was.”

But not all of their draftees were meant to be instant impact guys.

While the Lions are looking to win now, they also likely have an opening for a quarterback of the future. Goff is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, but he’s also scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 season. So, when Hendon Hooker – a Heisman frontrunner before tearing the ACL in his left knee in November – was available in Round 3, the Lions saw good value at pick No. 68.

Not only will he have time to heal his knee, but he’ll also learn behind Goff before any expectations are placed on him.

“Obviously, he’ll be a rookie. He’s going to have to transition into playing in a different type of scheme. We’re really excited about his upside,” Holmes said of Hooker. “How NFL-ready are a lot of quarterbacks that you acquire, and that’s just part of the normal development process. And again, it’s just a testament of I think we have the right situation for him just to come and sit back, see how Jared and [backup QB] Nate [Sudfeld] do things, and just develop.”

After a 1-6 start last season, Detroit won eight of their final 10 games to finish 9-8, which marked their first winning season since 2017. They now have hopes of taking it one step further this year to break the NFL’s longest active playoff victory drought, with some new rookies on the squad whom they feel can help.

“We feel really confident about the work that we put in and what those guys are going to do on the field,” Holmes said. “I think our fans are going to be really, really proud and really excited about what they see. I’m not saying like a year or two years, we believe that these guys are ready to go right now.”