This year was a big year for the Lions in the 2023 draft and quite an active one, the Lions made six picks in the top 100 in an attempt to bolster up their team as they go into a season where winning is an expectation. With this many draft picks so early it comes with a lot of expectations on these young players and as many of us know as Lions fans or not, it is pretty rare for every player to meet these expectations. With social media becoming a bigger and bigger thing, there has been a lot more expectations that seem unfair for these rookies, I decided to develop my thoughts on what might be some more realistic expectations for all four of the Lions highly drafted rookies in the first two rounds.
Round 1, Pick 12 Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama
I know a lot of fans and people who follow the NFL hated this pick and some people still do, I am not one of those people, I believe that Jahmyr Gibbs is an incredible player and will be very successful in Detroit. As for this season I expect Gibbs to give immediate contribution to the team, as of now he is probably the second string back behind David Montgomery, but with a team like the Lions there really isn’t a depth chart for the backs here. Gibbs is going to see a lot of volume at both receiver and running back, I could see the Lions using him like a Alvin Kamara lite, a guy that can line up in the slot or run smooth routes out of the backfield. He is also going to see a lot of carries this season but most of the carries should and will go to Montgomery. Gibbs will also be a hot commodity in the fantasy football world due to his receiving upside for whatever that is worth. My expectations for Gibbs this season are that he is a threat on the ground and puts up around 650 yards there and I expect Ben Johnson to be able to use him creatively through the air and him to add another 500 yards in that aspect of the game.
Round 1, Pick 18 Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa
Funny enough Campbell was another pick that made Lions fans scratch their head, on the surface this was just another reach and another example of the same old Lions. In reality Campbell fills a need and is going to get a lot of playing time. The Lions need run defenders and Campbell does just that and excels at it, that alone will get him on the field. I expect Campbell to use his size and athleticism to fill up running lanes and really make it hard on offenses to run at him. I really don’t see him being able to do much in coverage, he has the tools to do it but the odds that a rookie linebacker is able to be great in coverage are very low. Dan Campbell said in a recent interview that Campbell is no lock to start and that he will be ¨playing the best players¨ even with Campbell saying that I think that Jack Campbell is going to have a very active season, with good tackle and tackle for loss numbers and I expect him to have a quiet but good rookie season, nothing crazy but I expect him to contribute to the team and have a role.
Round 2, Pick 34, Sam LaPorta, TE, Iowa
The second Hawkeye taken by the Lions was met with some hate, surprise surprise. This one I am really not mad at, the Lions do not have anybody proven at the tight end position, they just have a random assortment of maybes at that position. LaPorta gives the Lions a lot of flexibility at th position, LaPorta is extremely effective after the catch and is going to be a big threat to opposing defenses. I expect LaPorta to be very active in this offense and get a lot of touches, he is going to be another receiving threat for Goff and will put up good numbers in a creative Ben Johnson offense. LaPorta is going to go into this season likely as the starting tight end and I expect him to surprise a lot of people and put up big numbers for a rookie tight end.
Round 2, Pick 45, Brian Branch, DB, Alabama
Finally the Lions first pick that wasn’t met with media scrutiny was Brian Branch in the second round, he was seen as a first round guy and for the Lions to get him here is huge. Branch is going to have a big role on the Lions as a young player on the defense. The Lions made a lot of big moves in the secondary but I could see Branch getting a lot of playtime early on. I do not expect him to start obviously but Branch is going to be able to sit behind a lot of veterans and fill in when needed, whether that be at safety or nickel corner. For Branch the numbers will certainly not be there for him as a rookie just because of the veterans ahead of him but he is for sure going to get some playing time early on and if an injury does happen he will be a good and versatile player to fill in.
