Vito Chirco of All Lions examines the quality performances of Detroit Lions rookies to start 2023 NFL season.
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00:00 through the first quarter of the 2023 NFL season.
00:02 Let's check in on the Lions 2023 draft class.
00:05 Here today to discuss is All-Lions senior writer Vito Churco.
00:09 Vito, I'm curious, how have the Lions rookies looked
00:12 through the first four games of the season?
00:15 Pretty darn good. I mean, it looks like GM Brad Holmes has nailed this draft class
00:19 yet again. And his third year as general manager, third year picking draft classes,
00:24 this guy has like just mastered the art of picking a
00:27 draft. You look at what he did this year specifically. We're talking about now how
00:31 these guys have performed obviously through the first quarter of the 2023
00:34 campaign. And you look at their first runners who
00:36 have done decently. Then you move on to the second round
00:39 with Laporta and Brian Branch and you can say that both guys have been
00:43 studs thus far. Sam Laporta has recorded the most receptions by a tight end
00:47 in a tight end's first four career games. He's been that good, John.
00:51 He's been one of the best tight ends in all of the league. I mean from the
00:53 receptions and yards and what he's done, the impact that he's made on the Lions
00:57 offensively has been tremendous and even better than what the Lions could
01:01 have expected. Same thing you could very well say about
01:04 defensive back Brian Branch. Picked there later in the second round.
01:07 Out of Alabama, a guy that can play at nickel corner has excelled at that thus
01:11 far. Can also play at safety obviously as
01:13 well as you know, John. A very aversive hell of a D.V. who's been one of the best
01:17 defensive backs in all the NFL. Not just among this rookie class but in
01:22 the entire National Football League, John, for the first four weeks of the season.
01:26 So Holmes has obviously nailed it with those two picks in the second round.
01:30 Then in the third round he picked Hendon Hooker and Roderick Martin.
01:33 Now Hooker's inactive right now, right? He's on the non-football injury list
01:37 and he's not gonna play this season more than likely with Jared Goff being the
01:40 starter. Hendon Hooker, it'll be a redshirt
01:42 season for him in so many words. Now you look at Roderick Martin, well he
01:47 has yet to play in a contest because they're still slowly
01:51 working him into their defensive plans. So we'll see
01:54 when he first gets snaps this season. So really you can't grade
01:57 those two guys at this point. And then in the fifth round, Colby
02:00 Soresdale, the old lineman out of William and Mary.
02:03 A guy that had a play in relief of Matt Nelson and Dan Skipper a couple of weeks
02:08 ago and he did all right. Did not allow a
02:10 sack but did allow a pressure against the Falcon. So he's still a work in
02:15 progress too. But overall wise when you look at the
02:18 second rounds and back to Jameer Gibbs. I mean he's been a good gadget player
02:22 thus far. A guy that you want to see involved more in the offense moving
02:25 forward. And I think Ben Johnson will actively
02:27 deploy him a little bit more as the season does progress.
02:30 As a runner out of the backfield, also as a receiver,
02:33 flanked out wide. And then also Jack Campbell, a guy who
02:36 has been all right, barely all right in pass coverage, much better in run defense.
02:41 He looks like a very adequate run stopper already. So all those guys in the
02:45 first and second round combined have made Brad Holmes look very, very good
02:49 at his GMing duties thus far. So to me once again this rookie class has
02:54 really excelled. And overall wise you can easily argue
02:59 that this draft class for the first four games of the 2023 season
03:03 deserves at least a B+ grade.