In what ultimately was a bit of a blowout, the Detroit Lions throttled the Green Bay Packers all night long. The Packers looked like they had little chance against the dominant defensive line of Detroit and had no answers for their multitude of weapons in the air and running game. A big part of Detroit’s success in this game and so far this season has been their formerly criticized rookie class, who are secretly turning out to be budding stars on both sides of the ball.
Both Brian Branch and Jack Campbell have been excellent in their roles with the Detroit defense, adding a level of physicality and versatility that Detroit was missing in years prior. With Campbell outside as a SAM linebacker, he has been hard to stop in both the pass rush and in pass coverage. Branch has been perhaps the best rookie safety in the entire league and potentially even the best defensive back on the Lions roster so far. Both players have come up with huge plays to help seal wins, including a 50-yard interception of Patrick Mahomes returned for a touchdown by Branch in the season opener.
On offense, the middle of the field has been opened up by second-round pick Sam LaPorta, who already has 242 yards receiving in just four games along with a touchdown catch. Detroit’s first selection, Jahmyr Gibbs has had to work behind veteran running back David Montgomery but has looked spry and explosive when he has had the opportunity. Gibbs boasts a 4.6 yards per carry on the ground and looks ready to take over the leading role when given the opportunity.
If this Detroit rookie class keeps on its current pace and continues to develop, the Lions could have the surprise hit class of the 2023 NFL draft. Not too shabby for a team that supposedly “reached” on multiple players.
