The Detroit Lions’ 2023 season was one of the most memorable for long-time fans of the franchise. Fans who had to endure seeing their team suffer at the bottom of the NFC North for the longest time was taken for quite a ride when Dan Campbell led the team to an incredible playoff run that almost saw them make the Super Bowl.
While the quality of the coaching and Campbell’s leadership had a lot to do with the successes they’re enjoying now, their success could also be attributed to the quality of the rookies they selected in the 2023 Draft.
The rookies who managed to defy expectations are now enjoying the fruits of their labor, and the Detroit Lions front office are being recognized for their vision.
Detroit Lions’ 2023 draft class is honored by NFL scouts
Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman wrote that the team was the chosen recipient of the “Best Draft Award” by scouts throughout the league after seeing their rookies make huge contributions to their incredible 2023 campaign.
He also detailed the doubt that crept in to people in and around the league with the quality of the players they chose for their team:
The Lions’ draft class saw plenty of criticism in the moment. In fact, a compilation and average of nearly 30 post-draft grades had the Lions ranking 25th in overall grade. Most of the criticism surrounded Detroit’s dismissal of positional value, breaking convention by taking a running back and off-ball linebacker in the first round.
However, it became apparent throughout the 2023 NFL season that the Detroit Lions attacked the draft with a plan in mind. The rookies they selected thrived in their roles despite the weird selections they made early in the draft.
Jahmyr Gibbs has been nothing short of a revelation for Dan Campbell’s run game in his rookie year. The Georgia Tech and Alabama alum made 182 rushing attempts for 945 yards and 10 touchdowns. The fact that he had this number while playing as a backup to David Montgomery presents just how potent the run game has become.
Sam LaPorta turned out to be the steal of the draft for the Detroit Lions after notching an NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie tight end at 889 coupled with 10 touchdowns. Jack Campbell was also a contributor to the Detroit offense with his 52 solo tackles and 2.0 sacks.
The future is bright for the Detroit Lions, and they will be hoping to get the crop of impact contributors in the upcoming draft.
For More Content
Message me at c.alamodin.writes@gmail.com for questions and opportunities.