Detroit Lions draft RB Jahmyr Gibbs and LB Jack Campbell in 1st round

ALLEN PARK — Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is headed to Detroit after being selected by the Lions with the 12th overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night in Kansas City. With the 18th pick, the Lions bolstered the defense drafting linebacker Jack Campbell.

“We couldn’t be more excited with two impact players on both sides of the ball,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said following the first round. “… We find players that fit us and what we’re about. That talent is one thing, but these players fit us.”

After cornerback Devon Witherspoon was selected in the fifth spot by Seattle, the Lions made a trade with Arizona giving them the sixth and 81st picks in return for the 12th, 34th and 168th picks. Witherspoon was speculated as a possible pick for the Lions with the sixth pick in several mock drafts.

Gibbs, who is 5-foot-9 and 199 pounds, played at Alabama and is expected to be a good fit with veteran running back David Montgomery who was signed as a free agent. Jamaal Williams signed with the Saints.

Gibbs said he didn’t expect to get drafted as high because typically running backs have fallen in recent drafts. He was expecting to drop to the 20s. He’s the highest running back pick for Detroit since Barry Sanders in 1989.

“It was pretty shocking to me, but I’m thankful for the city of Detroit,” Gibbs said in a Zoom interview from Kansas City. “I think it’s a great fit for me.”

Gibbs played with Lions’ wide receiver Jameson Williams at Alabama. “We can both make explosive plays in the pass game and the run game, for sure,” Gibbs said.

Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery called Gibbs “a fantastic young man” and repeatedly said he liked his character. He also said Gibbs was the best space player in the draft.

“He not only checks all the boxes, he’s been phenomenal throughout the process,” Montgomery said. He also noted that Gibbs has been coached really well at Alabama.

Gibbs ran a 4.36 in  the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine.

Campbell, who is 6-foot-5 and 249 pounds, played at Iowa. He had a formal interview with the Lions at the NFL Combine and was impressed with them especially coach Dan Campbell. The admiration was mutual.

“I’m excited to step foot in there and be the best version of Jack Campbell I can be every single day,” Jack Campbell said in a Zoom interview on Thursday night from his home in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

“I just feel I’m going to bring Jack Campbell. … I’m a humble guy, ready to learn,” Campbell added.”I’m super appreciative for the opportunity.”

“It’s only about football (in Detroit) and football is all that matters,” said Jack Campbell sounding very much like Dan Campbell.

Lions linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard said that Jack Campbell’s passion makes him an obvious fit for the Lions and the culture coach Dan Campbell has created.

“The athlete, I think everybody sees that … it speaks for itself, it’s exceptional what this player can do at his size,” Sheppard said. “But for me it’s really the thing that jumps him above come other guys is his passion for the game. The way it drives him –  he sees it, he speaks it, he lives it. He’s not one of these guys when things are good he’s up, he’s up all of the time because he loves it.”

That passion is a key ingredient for anyone on Dan Campbell’s roster.

“He is a Detroit guy. He is a Dan Campbell guy. He’s a culture fit immediately,” Sheppard said of Jack Campbell who was a captain at Iowa.

Like the other linebackers, Campbell will cross-train at all three positions.

“We were very high on this guy, as a position coach, as well as the total defense,” Sheppard said.

It’s unusual in recent drafts to select a running back — and even a linebacker — so early in the first round. Any criticism rolls off Holmes’ shoulders.

“Frankly, we don’t care. We feel really confident about the work we put in and what those guys are going to do on the field. And I’m not saying in two years, three years. We believe these guys are ready to go right now,” Holmes said.

After the trade of the sixth pick, the Lions have five picks (12th, 18th, 34th, 48th and 55th)  in the top 55.  They have three picks in the second round on Friday and, at this point, have none in the third. Friday’s action starts at 7 p.m.

Lions WR Jameson Williams suspended 6 games; Moore, Cephus cut due to gambling violations

Lions wide receivers Jameson Williams and Stanley Berryhill have been suspended for six games by the NFL for gambling policy violations including betting from an NFL facility on non-NFL games.

The announcement was made on Friday morning by the team which also released wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore. Both were suspended indefinitely by the NFL earlier Friday for violating the league’s gambling policy, including betting on NFL games.

Both Berryhill and Williams can participate in off-season and pre-season activities leading up to their suspension, which will begin on the final roster cut-down date.

“As a result of an NFL investigation, it came to our attention that a few of our players had violated the league’s gambling policy,” Lions GM Brad Holmes said. “These players exhibited decision-making that is not consistent with our organizational values and violates league rules. We have made the decision to part ways with Quintez and C.J. immediately. We are disappointed by the decision-making demonstrated by Stanley and Jameson and will work with both players to ensure they understand the severity of these violations and have clarity on the league rules moving forward.”

Jameson, who was a first-round pick in 2022, played in six games (one reception, nine targets)  last season after rehabbing from an ACL knee injury that he had incurred before the draft. Holmes said on Thursday they drafted him with the vision of him making contributions starting this season. 

Berryhill spent most of last season on the Lions’ practice squad.

C.J. Moore, who has played for the Lions for four seasons, signed a two-year extension in March.

Cephus played in four games (two catches, one touchdown) last season which was his third with the Lions.

(Coming up: The NFL draft starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. The Lions have nine picks, including two in the first round.)

GM Brad Holmes says Detroit Lions have flexibility in NFL draft

Two first-round picks among 9 overall

ALLEN PARK — Once a year Lions GM Brad Holmes stands in front of the media to take pre-draft questions that he can’t answer. He’s good with it, understands it and while he’s not revealing the team’s draft board, he is able to give some  insight into the draft preparation.

The Lions have nine picks including two in the first round (sixth and 18th) in the three-day NFL draft, which opens Thursday, April 27.

Holmes and the Lions have put themselves in a position where there is flexibility in the process.

“There’s always something you’re going to have to address. We did a lot of things on defense in free agency and there are a lot of good defensive players in this draft. So we feel pretty comfortable,’’ Holmes said on Thursday. “Again, I just can’t pinpoint one position where we’re like ‘Oh my gosh if we don’t do that’ … I just think it’s a lot of different directions we can go. 

“We’re not perfect, we still have a lot of work to do, we understand that, we know that, we embrace it. I always tell people I embrace darkness, I embrace reality. We’re used to taking the hard road through the narrow gate. You’re always going to have to deal with stuff but we just deal with it and try to build the best we can,’’ he added.

Holmes explained that while looking at the depth chart is key in signing free agents who can be plugged in immediately, that is not how they look at it during the draft where the players are big long-term investments.

The Lions finished last season winning 8 of their last 10 games so expectations are high. Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have changed the culture and put their own stamp on the team. Holmes credited Campbell with jumping right from the end of the season to helping with the draft preparation.

They typically see eye to eye in player evaluations.

“Me and Dan say all the time these players have to fit here. It’s not like we have to chase this player with the red flags or whatever, it’s always case by case. I know you’re tired of me saying this but it’s just true,’’ Holmes said.

When it comes to making the draft decisions Holmes said he trusts his gut.

“You can look at all the data and research. We scrub it, we dive deep, but at the end of the day if it does not feel right. … It’s a little difficult whichever round, it can be in the seventh round. If you have to make that phone call that he’s going to be a Detroit Lion, you want to feel confident about it and you don’t want to have any nervousness about it,’’ Holmes said. “That’s where the gut piece comes in. I’ve always trusted it and I still trust it.’’

Having the two of the top 18 picks — sixth and 18th — makes the process more unpredictable to start. (The sixth pick came in the trade of Matthew Stafford to the Rams.)

“Having those two picks they’re kind of in unique spots depending on what’s going to happen in front of you and behind you,’’ Holmes said. “Where we are right now, I say we have a lot of flexibility, we can go in a lot of directions. We feel good about that, but it’s just a little different.’’

Last year, Holmes selected defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson and wide receiver Jameson Williams in the first round.

Four of the 2022 draft picks started on defense in the final game, the win at Green Bay. They included Hutchinson, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (sixth round), linebacker James Houston (sixth round) and safety Kerby Joseph (third round).

After the first round next Thursday, the Lions have two second-round picks (48th and 55th), one in the third round (81st), two in the fifth round (152nd and 159th) and two in the sixth round (183rd and 194th).