The Detroit Lions shook the world with their first round in the 2023 NFL draft. They started off picking at 6, where many of the top talents were still on the board. The Lions soon traded that pick for the 12th pick while on the clock to the Arizona Cardinals. The Lions shocked everyone when they picked Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick. Gibbs is the best pass-catching running back in this year’s draft class and is one of the most talented running backs we have seen come out of college in recent years. Many people were surprised by the pick because of the Lions’ recent signing of David Montgomery. Even now I can say that the pick is a little bit confusing but regardless the Lions made it very clear that he was their guy and they would’ve been more than comfortable with him at 6 if they had stayed. Apparently, the GM Brad Holmes fielded multiple texts from front offices around the league congratulating him on the pick and expressing their love for the player and that they were also planning on getting him or even trading up for him soon after he was picked. The Lions drafted a great player, I would assume he gets the RB1 role in the offense but at the same time, the Montgomery signing makes things more interesting. The trade back from 6 to 12 also netted them the 34th overall pick, which was TE Sam LaPorta, and the 168th pick, which they traded back to the Cardinals to move up to the 96th pick later in the draft.
Another Miss?
The Lions in the back half of the first round made another head-scratching move. They drafted LB Jack Campbell out of the University of Iowa. Campbell is yet another great player who had a very impressive college career, but alongside the Gibbs pick, he plays at a less valuable position than what some fans might have wanted from the team’s first-round picks. With the top tight ends on the board still, at the time, I thought that the TJ Hockenson replacement was on the way to Detroit. Campbell projects to be a good player and the Lions can use all the help that they can get on the defensive side of the ball, but again it felt like linebacker was not a huge position of need, especially when it costs them a first-round pick in the process. Overall the draft was still a huge success for Detroit, they got great players with every pick and moved all over the draft board to get the guys that they wanted. I love seeing Holmes get aggressive and really get what he wants. I believe that both Gibbs and Campbell will be great and they will fit in perfectly with the Lions’ scheme, but the overwhelming feeling that I left the draft with was a mix of shock and surprise. Nobody car truly say that they saw Gibbs being picked in the top-15, and definitely not picked by the Lions. Hopefully all of the doubters of the pick are proven wrong, and Holmes’ excellence continues to surprise and impress fans in the future.
