Two of the Detroit Lions’ top three draft picks have yet to take the field this summer because of injury. In their absence, two of the Lions’ final three draft picks have caught head coach Dan Campbell’s eye.
Asked to share his early impressions of his rookie class before practice Saturday, Campbell singled out seventh-round pick Chase Lucas and sixth-rounder Malcolm Rodriguez as two of three players who have made a strong impression in training camp.
He also mentioned No. 2 overall pick Aidan Hutchinson, who already appears to be one of the Lions’ best defensive players.
“Lucas has caught my eye,” Campbell said Saturday. “Particularly in the special teams drills, that’s where I really see it, the compete drills. And there’s an awareness about him. He’s pretty instinctive and he’s aggressive and you’ve got to have all of that to be a good special teams player.
“Rodriguez, he’s done some really good things. But there again, I would say that’s more special teams than defense right now. And I don’t mean that in a negative.”
Both Lucas and Rodriguez are competing for back-end roster spots on the Lions’ young defense and stand to make their biggest contributions on special teams if they make the team.
Rodriguez acknowledged in May special teams was his ticket to early playing time, and Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp said the rookie had strong tape in the kicking game from college.
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Lucas, likewise, had loads of special teams experience at Arizona State, where he said he was a four-phase contributor (kickoff and kick return and punt and punt return).
“I was lucky enough to have Shawn Slocum, who was the special teams coordinator for the Green Bay Packers to come in, who was coaching me all six years that I was (at Arizona State),” Lucas said. “So I was just very, very lucky. I’m very educated on special teams and when you have a coach like Coach Fipp it’s amazing.”
Lucas said he told Lions coaches to plug him in “wherever you need me,” and so far Fipp and secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant have obliged.
Along with his special teams work, Lucas has taken backup reps at slot cornerback, behind AJ Parker and Mike Hughes, and said he is working at outside cornerback and safety in walk-throughs.
“What I think the best part is, the coaches, I can see them starting to trust me a little bit, giving me a little bit more reps, running with the ones a couple times, having a lot of two reps,” Lucas said. “I just see myself being in that nickel position, being on this defense, but I got to earn my stripes first. That’s just the way I feel.”
To help earn his stripes, Lucas said he is putting in extended hours trying to devour the playbook.
After camp breaks around 7 p.m. each night, he stays in the Lions’ Allen Park practice facility till about 8:30 watching extra film and meeting with coaches.
“And then when I get back to the hotel, I’m seeing long nights,” he said. “Not going to bed till 12, ’cause like I said I got a chip on my shoulder. The iPad, I’m falling asleep, rewinding at the same time. So like I said, I’m just embracing every opportunity that I get here.”
As for Campbell taking notice, Lucas said “it’s a humbling feeling” to hear praise from his coach.
“But like I said, I feel like there’s so much work to be done,” he said. “It’s four days into it, we got another two weeks (before our first preseason game), so I’m just excited to be here. I’m going to take every opportunity I can and just embrace everything I got.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.