The Lions beat the Giants 21-16 and relied heavily on contributions from the rookie class
The Detroit Lions came out victorious from their first preseason game of 2023. Not only did they come out with a win, but they got early returns on their investments from their rookie class.
You can’t talk about this game without mentioning the wide receivers. Detroit has three first-year receivers on the team and all three made an impact against the Giants.
Chase Cota, undrafted out of Oregon, played for most of the game and had quite the professional debut with four catches for 60 yards. Seventh-round pick Antoine Green aided early on in the game with three catches of his own for 36 yards. Dylan Drummond, who has picked up some attention throughout training camp, had a quieter game but still contributed nonetheless. The former Eastern Michigan wideout earned 12 yards on two receptions and also took one kick return for 19 yards.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Adrian Martinez came in for Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter and showed some flashes of potential. Known for being mobile in college, he ran the ball 5 times with his longest gain being 10 yards. He capped off his day with a rushing touchdown to take Detroit into the lead. He didn’t look as good as a passer, only completing four-of-seven attempts for 37 yards, but his performance should earn him more playing time in the remaining preseason showings.
Tight end Sam LaPorta saw the field plenty in the first half of the game, but did not contribute much to the box score. He was utilized often in 12-personnel sets alongside Brock Wright and the two even lined up side-by-side at times. LaPorta was targeted once but dropped the pass.
First-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs impressed early on despite some poor offensive line play up front. The shifty running back showed an ability to find his way upfield in situations that would normally be a loss of yardage. He also briefly flashed his skills as a receiver with one catch for 18 yards. He also proved himself to be a team player as he is credited with a tackle on New York’s Jason Pinnock following an interception from Sudfeld.
Fellow rookie running back Mohamed Ibrahim did not share the same successes. Ibrahim averaged 2.3 yards per carry on his four touches and had to briefly go to the locker room wit the trainer after suffering a minor injury.
On the offensive line, fifth-round pick Colby Sorsdal started the game at right guard and it became evident that there would be a learning curve for the former William & Mary lineman. Undrafted rookies Brad Cecil and Connor Galvin served as the respective second-team center and right tackle.
On the other side of the ball, defensive lineman Brodric Martin may have stood out size-wise, but his one tackle on the day leaves us waiting to see what made the Western Kentucky product worthy of a costly trade-up in the third round. Fellow rookie linemen Chris Smith and Cory Durden saw limited action against the Giants but did not do anything noteworthy.
First-round pick Jack Campbell had a very impressive debut for the Lions. The former Iowa Hawkeye had four tackles and a pass defense on the day and seemed to bring life to the team’s run defense. With Alex Anzalone not suited up, Campbell got the start alongside Derrick Barnes.
Undrafted linebacker Trevor Nowaske had his name called on the broadcast a few times, and for good reason. The Saginaw Valley State standout also put up four tackles in this matchup against New York.
The four rookies in Detroit’s secondary were some of the biggest playmakers of this group. Safety Brandon Joseph made impactful plays everywhere on the field. On top of his game-sealing interception, he also played well against the run and even made a tackle-for-loss.
Nickel defender Brian Branch got his first start as a Lion and immediately made plays. Not even four minutes into the game, he sniffed out a screen to veteran Cole Beasley and quickly took him down for a loss of yardage.
Undrafted rookie Starling Thomas has been the training camp darling of 2023, and he continued to impress against the Giants. His biggest contributions were on special teams, where he excelled as a gunner on the punt team and also put up some key blocks on kick and punt returns throughout the game.
Look: Top photos from the Lions preseason win over the Giants
