Allen Park — The Lions are reaching for more, and people are noticing. The NFL noticed enough to grant them a supporting-actor role on opening night against the Super Bowl champion Chiefs.
The higher you reach, the more you get noticed. According to many analysts, the Lions reached for a few of their draft picks, which means nothing of course. If we’ve learned anything about Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, they’re not beholden to convention, which is partly what makes their team so interesting.
The prime example is first-rounder Jahmyr Gibbs, the do-it-all Alabama back taken No. 12 overall, approximately 10 spots higher than he was widely projected. Holmes then promptly traded D’Andre Swift, who alternately was the team’s most dynamic weapon and one of the least dependable. Now Swift is in Philadelphia and Gibbs is here at rookie minicamp, the center of attention whether he likes it or not.
Early impression is, he’d rather not talk his way into the conversation. He’s soft-spoken but confident, forced to watch from the sideline Saturday because of a mild ankle twist. Lions fans are forgiven if they get flashbacks to Swift’s injury issues but it’s pointless to make comparisons, and really, really pointless to do it in May. Gibbs isn’t Swift. He isn’t Barry Sanders, the last running back drafted so high by the Lions. He’s not Bijan Robinson, the first running back drafted this year, by the Falcons at No. 8.
We’ll find out who Gibbs is pretty quickly, because the Lions aren’t being eased into their new role as the league’s daring darlings. In the first four weeks, they face Kansas City and Green Bay on the road in Thursday night showcases, with home games against Seattle and Atlanta wedged in between. They’ll likely have their top three picks in the starting lineup — Gibbs, Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell and Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta.
All three fit the Lions’ mold, which looks nothing like the old mold. All three have specific skill and character traits that Holmes and Campbell seek. All three were rated lower by many analysts. In fact, the first person to suggest Gibbs might have been a reach was Gibbs himself, who said on draft night he was “shocked” to get picked so high, an unusual spot for a running back.
Now, as he waits to assimilate into a Lions offense that ranked fourth in the league, Gibbs isn’t dishing bold retorts about his lofty draft slot.
“Everybody’s entitled to their opinion, I really don’t care,” Gibbs said. “It feels great to be a part of something special. Going up, moving forward, it’ll be fun to watch.”
Hot property
It’s fun in the spring, when it’s all glossing and no losses. The Lions are several months from prove-it time, starting Sept. 7 at Arrowhead Stadium. They’re getting the chance they craved, and they earned it with an 8-2 finish to last season. They earned it with their passionate play and Campbell’s emotional leadership style — eloquent, if not elegant — as documented by HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
It helped too when they beat Green Bay with scintillating trick plays on the final Sunday night to send Aaron Rodgers into exile. League and TV executives noted that game, and the Lions’ aggressive culture, were factors in giving them four prime-time slots (they had zero at the start of last season), five if you count Thanksgiving against the Packers.
This might end up being filed under “Be Careful What You Wish For,” but for now, it certainly has sparked some tingling.
“Maybe I’m a little naïve, I think all rookies are,” LaPorta said. “The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I got chills when I heard we were going to Arrowhead to open the season.”
He laughed when someone (me) jokingly asked if he’ll be able to match Travis Kelce in the opener. LaPorta speaks with wide-eyed enthusiasm but is expected to bring wow-eyed impact. So is Gibbs. I doubt they’ll be fully ready to go toe-to-toe, throw-to-throw against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but that’s what they’re preparing for, no apologizing needed.
“I mean look, I would say certainly we’re beginning to get noticed,” Campbell said after the schedule reveal. “But it also means they’re betting on we won’t get our (butts) kicked.”
Tested from the start
It’s really the ideal opener for the Lions to find out how close (or far away) they really are. They won’t be under immense pressure because they won’t be a popular pick to beat the Chiefs. If they were opening at home against a lesser opponent, a loss would be much more damaging, perception-wise.
There’s another clue hidden in the schedule. They close the season with two of three games against the Vikings, including the finale at home. That would suggest the NFL puppet-masters are expecting a Lions-Vikings flourish to decide the NFC North champ.
Is that another reach? Not at all. The Lions are favored by oddsmakers to win the division, and the league doesn’t reward teams that play it safe and slow. Holmes and Campbell certainly didn’t stand pat, completely revamping the secondary with free agents Cameron Sutton, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley. The got more dynamic at tight end by grabbing LaPorta in the second round. They swept Swift out and also let rugged runner Jamaal Williams leave, and replaced him with a younger rugged runner in David Montgomery, building a whole new backfield.
Gibbs will be the complement to Montgomery, but I’m sure offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is crafting more than a complementary role. Gibbs is fast and elusive, and led Alabama in rushing yards and receptions last season. Was it a gamble to grab him and deal Swift? Absolutely. But a calculated one, not an impetuous one.
“There’s a lot of pressure (on a first-rounder) because you want to prove the people right that picked you,” assistant GM Ray Agnew said Saturday. “But I would just tell him to relax, it’ll come.”
Gibbs has no problem low-keying things for now. But make no mistake, he’ll be thrown in quickly. Jameson Williams, last year’s speedy prize from Alabama, is suspended the first six games, so there will be a dual-threat role ripe for the taking.
Holmes was ecstatic to get Gibbs, calling him “explosive, dynamic.” He figures with an offensive foundation of Jared Goff and an exceptional offensive line, the Lions might as well put it all to good use.
Yes, they’re reaching for higher offensive numbers and a higher spot in the standings. Gibbs said it doesn’t matter if he’s running or receiving, he just can’t wait to get the ball. Asked what numbers he’s capable of posting, he answered the way any rookie should.
“I haven’t thought about it,” said Gibbs, a sturdy 5-foot-9, 200 pounds. “I’m not really into that. I think with team success, everything else will come.”
That’s the plan, and the Lions aren’t waiting around for it. They keep adding speed to speed up the process, and they’re gonna learn a lot in a hurry.
Twitter: bobwojnowski