Tag: Lions rookies

Lions rookies set NFL offensive production record

Lions rookies set NFL offensive production record with 2,000 yards and 20 touchdowns

The Detroit Lions took some heat for their draft strategy back in April. Those criticisms seem ice cold now that two of the primary sources of the scorn have set an NFL record.

First-round running back Jahmyr Gibbs and second-round tight end Sam LaPorta combined to become the first rookie class in NFL history to produce 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns. It’s not an exclusive record for just two players, even though the Lions only needed two rookies to make it happen.

LaPorta’s first-quarter touchdown reception set the record was quickly followed by Gibbs’ touchdown run. It was the 10th touchdown for each.

 

Sam LaPorta wins NFL Rookie of the Week after outstanding Week 13 performance

Lions TE Sam LaPorta wins NFL Rookie of the Week after outstanding Week 13 performance

Sam LaPorta is coming off a fantastic outing in Detroit’s Week 13 win in New Orleans. The second-round rookie tight end caught all nine of his passing game targets, netting 140 yards and a touchdown.

For his outstanding game, LaPorta won the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for Week 13. The award doesn’t differentiate between offense and defense. He edged out Will Anderson, C.J. Stroud, De’von Achane, Puka Nacua and Zach Charbonnett to win.

Head coach Dan Campbell, a longtime NFL tight end himself, had this to say about LaPorta during the week,

“It’s not easy to play this position as a rookie and to do all that we’re asking him to do because he does it all. It’s in the run game, it’s protection and then you see the pass production. That’s what everybody sees, right? The numbers, the separation, but nobody has really any true idea of all the other stuff he does for us and that’s a tight end. That’s what a tight end does and I’m glad he’s ours.”

LaPorta is the first Lions rookie to capture the weekly honor in 2023, though Jahmyr Gibbs and Brian Branch were previously nominated. James Houston was the last Lions rookie to win it, back in Week 17 a year ago.

Lions rookie grades at the midseason break

Heading into the second half the season, it is time to give out midseason grades for the Detroit Lions rookies

Entering the second half of the season, the Detroit Lions aim to maintain their impressive 6-2 start. Apart from a few minor setbacks, the Lions have demonstrated strength across the board, thanks to excellent coaching and standout performances from their core players. However, the talk of the town centers on the immediate impact made by the 2023 rookie class.

Initially, the Lions faced criticism for selecting players in positions that many thought didn’t align with their draft value. Yet, when all was said and done and the dust settled, the Lions emerged with a remarkable haul and are already reaping the benefits as they strive for a strong playoff push.

As we reach the midpoint of the season, it’s time to assess the performances of all the rookies thus far.

[lawrence-related id=98435]

Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta each nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week

Detroit’s second-round rookies represented very well in the Week 3 win over Atlanta

Second round represent! That they did for the Detroit Lions in the Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Both players the Lions selected in the second round fo the 2023 NFL draft are nominated for NFL Rookie of the Week for their performances in the 20-6 win over the Atlanta Falcons. Tight end Sam LaPorta and defensive back Brian Branch are up for the weekly honor.

LaPorta caught eight passes for 84 yards, including his first career touchdown. He extended his own rookie record of catching at least five passes in a game to start a career.

Branch registered 11 total tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage. Playing primarily as the slot corner, Branch also broke up two passes.

Voting is done via NFL.com and sponsored by Pepsi Zero Sugar.

[lawrence-related id=96217]

Quick takeaways from the Lions win over the Falcons

Here are some of the top takeaways from watching Detroit’s Week 3 win, with notes on the defense, the rookies and more

That sound you may have heard around Detroit on Sunday afternoon was the sweet feeling of cathartic relief. Well, if you could hear that over the raucous Ford Field crowd cheering on the Lions to a resounding, 20-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Battling both the visiting Falcons and a virulent injury bug, the Lions showed real grit. It was a showing the team sorely needed after a discouraging loss a week earlier to the Seattle Seahawks. The fans needed it, too.

Here are some of the top takeaways from watching Detroit’s Week 3 win in real time.

[lawrence-related id=96187]

Lions rookies ‘helped us win’ in season opener over the Chiefs

The Detroit Lions pulled of the upset against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the rookies contributed heavily that helped them win.

Hop in your time machine and go back to the NFL draft. The Detroit Lions went RB, LB, and TE with their first three picks, positions that most consider low value, especially for where the Lions selected them. Lions GM Brad Holmes was widely criticized for selecting players who did not meet the “positional value” criteria, but he did not care what anyone thought and stuck to his guns. Well, with the first game in the books, he is having the last laugh.

The Lions pulled off some might consider the impossible by beating the Kansas City Chiefs, spoiling their Super Bowl celebration, with a 21-20 victory. Now, it wasn’t the cleanest game, and you can bet everyone in that locker room can tell you that, but the grit and resiliency foundation this team is built on showed up, especially after a couple of miscues early on.

It was going to be interesting to see how the Lions would deploy their rookies, considering this is their first NFL action and doesn’t get much bigger than under the big lights on national television. For the most part, they were able to handle their own and contribute to the first upset of the season.

HC Dan Campbell wasn’t quick to give praise during his post-game interview, saying he needs to look at the tape first, but from a quick glance, their impact was noticeable, saying they helped us win today.

I’m sure anyone watching the game could see each one of the rookies provided a strong presence when they made it on the field.

David Montgomery saw the majority of reps on running back in this one. Still, it was very noticeable how much of a difference-maker Jahymr Gibbs will be for the Lions offense. He is a force to be reckoned with between his speed and toughness. He has burst and speed, making him a threat anytime he touches the ball. The second and third efforts were evident, making four or five gains into first down runs. Surely, as the season goes on, the rookie RB will see more reps.

Sam LaPorta was showing off the do-it-all TE skills everyone has seen through training camp. He was making crucial catches at the right time, but what was more impressive was his blocking. He made a key block for David Montgomery’s touchdown, giving the Lions enough for victory.

Jack Campbell has some spurts that showed why the Lions took him in the first round. You shouldn’t expect him to be perfect in this matchup, but he had a nice pass break-up and, from initial looks, had a good coverage performance. He gives the Lions a nice rotation of LBs that will only improve as the season progresses.

[lawrence-related id=95359]

We may never know how Brain Branch fell to the second round, but his playmaking skills were on full blast against the Chiefs. It seemed like wherever the ball was, Branch was either there or not far behind to make a play. There were a few plays where I think if the receiver made the catch, he was about to get lit up by Branch. He provided the necessary spark that helped give the Lions some momentum with the pick-six. When he went down, he gave everyone a scare, but it was cramping, and he returned later. Branch is built differently and elevates this Lions defense.

Campbell was very happy with all of the rookie’s performances and mentioned they will only improve as the season progresses. Well, if they are already playing like this in game one, the sky is the limit for every single one of these guys. The core the Lions build with these young playmakers will keep the Lions relevant for years to come.

Every newcomer on the Lions roster to start training camp

The 33 new Detroit Lions training camp who were not with the team at any point in the 2022 season

The Detroit Lions have an impressive young core of talent as a base coming off the 9-8 finish in 2022. GM Brad Holmes and his staff have added many more pieces to the Lions puzzle.

Here are all the new names and players in Detroit Lions training camp who were not with the team at any point in the 2022 season.

Preseason rookie report: Quiet day for Lions rookies in loss to Pittsburgh

The Detroit Lions rookies had a quiet day in the 19-9 preseason loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers

In their last preseason outing as rookies, many of the first-year players of the Detroit Lions failed to make much of an impact on the field.

First-round pick Aidan Hutchinson got the start on defense and immediately made an impact. On Pittsburgh’s first offensive series, Hutchinson lined up as an interior defensive lineman and with the help of Charles Harris, was able to get a sack on Steelers’ quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez didn’t get the start for this game but did get put in during the first quarter. His biggest play of the first half was on special teams, where he prevented the Steelers’ punt returner from even gaining a yard, meeting him for a tackle the moment the ball was caught.

Demetrius Taylor also got in the game early and was able to team up with Bruce Hector to prevent an attempted run up the middle by Trubisky. He stayed in for most of the game and earned one of the biggest signs of respect any opposing team can give a defensive lineman: constant double teams at the line. Taylor unfortunately was a non-factor for the rest of the game.

Seventh-round pick Chase Lucas took the field late in the first half, relieving starting nickel cornerback AJ Parker. Lucas got the bulk of his playing time in the second half and had some positive moments, including one tackle for loss in the fourth quarter.

Kerby Joseph also appeared near the end of the first half and immediately was picked on by Trubisky and tight end Pat Freiermuth. He also took reps as a gunner on punts in the second half. Overall, his struggles in coverage looked even worse than last week. The third-rounder out of Illinois may need more time to develop than we had hoped.

Undrafted rookie receiver Kalil Pimpleton had quite the up-and-down day. He was targeted in the fourth quarter but dropped the low pass from quarterback Tim Boyle. Not long later, Blough was put in and connected with the rookie for a short gain.

Unfortunately, Pimpleton dropped a would-be touchdown on a fourth-down attempt not long after but did follow up with a big catch-and-run on the next offensive series. The rookie’s day ended on a low note as he dropped a ball on an end-of-game two-point conversion attempt.

Offensive lineman Obinna Eze sat out most of the game but was put in at left tackle for Dan Skipper with about five minutes left to go. He bent but didn’t break as he struggled to contain Pittsburgh’s edge defenders but didn’t appear to give up any pressures on Blough.

Tight ends James Mitchell and Derrick Deese were used sparingly on offense in the second half and were not targeted once. When they did take the field, it was often together in double tight end sets where their primary assignment was blocking.

James Houston appeared in the game as a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker but failed to make his presence known in any way. Undrafted rookie cornerback Cedric Boswell did not play, and neither did offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis.

First-round pick Jameson Williams is inactive on the NFI list while Josh Paschal is on PUP. Running back Greg Bell is out for the season on injured reserve.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx8sj47vkwrznr player_id=none image=https://lionswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Rookie report: Lions 2021 class shines in season finale

Detroit Lions rookie report: The 2021 class shines in the season finale

The 2021 Detroit Lions rookie class ended the season on a high note with a 37-30 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

The Lions faced their fair share of adversity throughout the season, which in turn made them rely on many of their rookie players to take on larger roles.

This remained true for their season finale, as Detroit utilized 13 first-year players in their victory over Green Bay.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has become the focal point of the Lions’ offense. Not only did he make franchise history by recording the most receptions by a rookie, he put his name down in NFL history books as one of three rookie receivers to record the stats that he’s put up over this half of the season. His abilities on the field drew plenty of attention to himself, which benefitted Detroit on trick plays as well. Green Bay’s defenders assumed St. Brown would get the ball and hone in on him, allowing the offense to make some big scoring plays. St. Brown finished the game with eight catches for 109 yards and a touchdown along with one carry for 12 yards.

Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu also had himself a day. Expectations were low for the rookie after a rough outing against Seattle the week prior. He was tasked with covering Davante Adams, one of the league’s top receivers, and managed to hold his own. Melifonwu managed to suppress Adams the best he could and allowed just two receptions for 17 yards when targeted. His most stunning play was a pass breakup against Adams that forced a fourth down by Green Bay. The rookie corner showed vast improvement and hopefully will be able to carry that momentum into next season. He had five tackles and a fumble recovery against Green Bay.

Melifonwu’s aforementioned fumble recovery was set off by fellow rookie cornerback AJ Parker, who knocked the ball out of the hands of Packers receiver Juwann Winfree. Parker has started at the nickel cornerback position for most of the year and has shown some great potential there. The undrafted rookie laid out several big hits in this game and proved he’s capable of holding a starting role next season. Parker also is credited with a pass breakup and three tackles in this game.

Rookie tight end Brock Wright returned after dealing with both injury and illness for the two weeks prior to this game and still managed to put on quite a show. While initially used as a blocking tight end, he was forced to become more of a receiving option after T.J. Hockenson was placed on injured reserve. Wright caught both passes thrown his way for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Another rookie who had a decent game was nose tackle Alim McNeill. The third-round pick only played a little over a third of the defensive snaps for Detroit, but was a dominant force as a pass rusher and run defender. McNeill bullied Green Bay’s offensive line, dropping down on them like the 330-pound anvil that he is.

Derrick Barnes finally earned a start at inside linebacker and made the most of it. Other than getting beat for one touchdown that he had no business covering in the first place, Barnes had a decent game. The rookie came away with five tackles and a sack, but still has plenty of room to improve. He has a long way to go before he can be a full-time starter, but the door is open with both Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin set to hit free agency.

Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike had a fairly quiet game. He saw more reps than usual but failed to make much of an impact on the game.

On the offensive line, Ryan McCollum was thrown into the action after Evan Brown suffered an injury just five snaps into the game. On his first snap, McCollum was easily beat and gave up a sack. He played 31 snaps before Detroit opted to shift left guard Jonah Jackson over to center and have Jared Goff take direct snaps from him instead. Undrafted rookie Tommy Kraemer took over for Jackson at left guard for the remainder of the game and didn’t allow any pressure on Goff.

Kicker Riley Patterson had another perfect day. The rookie attempted and made four extra points and three field goals. At this rate, he should be the heavy favorite for the kicker job next season.

Mark Gilbert, Brady Breeze, and Tavante Beckett only took the field for special teams plays. None of the three rookies recorded any stats.

Rookie report: Wrapping up Week 14 performances from the Lions rookies

The Lions played a lot of rookies in the Week 14 loss to the Broncos. Our Max Gerber breaks down how they fared in Denver.

With so many players sitting out due to injury and illness on Sunday’s game, the Detroit Lions had to rely on several members of their 2021 rookie class.

While some were already inked into their starting roles, others were put in situations where they hadn’t played before.

On the offensive line, first-round pick Penei Sewell once again put on an elite performance. The rookie allowed no sacks and didn’t commit a single penalty despite going up against the Broncos’ stout defensive line.

Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for undrafted rookie Ryan McCollum. McCollum was the only center remaining on the roster due to Frank Ragnow being on injured reserve and Evan Brown on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. McCollum allowed a sack on Jared Goff on the very first offensive drive for the Lions and committed a holding penalty later in the game. His snaps were never an issue, but his ability to keep the pocket clean needs a lot of work.

Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown came off a strong performance the week prior and managed to remain a sure-handed target for Goff against Denver. The rookie had eight receptions for 73 yards while aiding a very short-handed offense.

At tight end, the Lions had to rely on not one, but two, undrafted rookies. With T.J. Hockenson out, Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra took over duties at the tight end position. While both have been seen more as blocking options in the past, the two were utilized heavily in the passing game. Wright had three receptions for 20 yards. Zylstra was targeted six times but only came away with two catches. He had an unfortunate drop in the end zone at one point, but that error could be attributed more to a poor decision by Goff.

On the defensive line, third-round pick Alim McNeill came away with his first career sack and had arguably his best game as an interior pass-rusher. Levi Onwuzurike had a fairly quiet game despite being on the field for 40-percent of the defensive snaps. Both rookies came away with four tackles.

Derrick Barnes took 47 snaps on defense as an inside linebacker. The rookie struggled to defend the run and also had a rough outing in coverage, allowing a 32-yard reception at one point in the game. While he has all of the physical tools to play linebacker in the NFL, there’s still much to learn for the rookie.

In the secondary, starting cornerback Jerry Jacobs went down after five snaps after tearing his ACL due to some friendly fire by Will Harris.

Rookie running back Jermar Jefferson was active, but was kept on the bench most of the game. Head coach Dan Campbell attributed this to him missing a majority of practice due to injury and illness.

Offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer only took the field for the field goal and extra point attempt, which were both completed by fellow rookie Riley Patterson.