This rookie roundup is about to start biting off kneecaps because Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions made a statement in the 2023 NFL draft. That statement was that they don’t care about positional value, they are drafting running backs and off-the-ball linebackers early and you nerds are going to have to deal with it. And I absolutely love the atomic wedgie the Lions’ front office gave to analytics geeks everywhere. Let’s take a look at how the Lions crushed the draft for the 2023 fantasy football season.
FULL DETROIT DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
| 1 | 12 | Jahmyr Gibbs | RB | Alabama |
| 1 | 18 | Jack Campbell | LB | Iowa |
| 2 | 3 | Sam LaPorta | TE | Iowa |
| 2 | 14 | Brian Branch | CB | Alabama |
| 3 | 5 | Hendon Hooker | QB | Tennessee |
| 3 | 33 | Brodric Martin | DT | Western Kentucky |
| 5 | 17 | Colby Sorsdal | OT | William & Mary |
| 7 | 2 | Antoine Green | WR | North Carolina |
Round 1, Pick 12 Overall: Jahmyr Gibbs, Running Back, Alabama (5’9” 199 lbs)
Depth Chart:
RB1: David Montgomery
RB2: Jahmyr Gibbs
RB3: Craig Reynolds
RB4: Jermar Jefferson
TALENT
Jahmyr Gibbs’ college tape was electric. For as touted as this running back class was, after Gibbs, all of the backs had some flaws that were very evident on tape. Outside of Bijan, Gibbs was the only back who showed a great blend of strength and speed. Most of the other guys in this class were either fast guys who went down easily, or slow guys who pushed the pile.
And when I say Jahmyr Gibbs was fast, I mean the man should take over for Ezra Miller when they recast The Flash. At the very least, Gibbs is less creepy. The man was absolutely incredible in space. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in space very often because the Alabama offensive line was pretty bad this year. Gibbs has great feet with very good change of direction. When Gibbs cuts, he accelerates so quickly that he’s already ten yards down the field before the defender realizes what is going on.
What really made Gibbs exciting was his ability in the passing game. Gibbs lined up 33 times in the slot and 44 times out wide at Alabama this year. This facet of his game makes him an incredible weapon that will make him a mismatch at the next level.
2023 OPPORTUNITY
The Lions were blasted by the media for “wasting” their first-round selections on positions that are not considered premium. This is a prime example of people missing the forest for the trees. While many front offices devalue the running back position because it has a shorter shelf life than other NFL positions, there is no denying that Jahmyr Gibbs is an elite talent. And smart teams want as many elite players on their roster. Especially considering that running backs taken in the first round have a much higher success rate than most other positions.
If you are wondering what Jahmyr Gibbs’ opportunities will look like in 2023, just look at D’Andre Swift’s numbers in 2022. As soon as the Lions drafted Gibbs, they traded Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles, where Georgia players go to die. They traded Swift because his and Gibbs’ roles in the Lions’ offense became redundant. In 14 games, Swift had 99 carries in the running game and 48 targets in the passing game, averaging 10.5 touches per game. I think that is a reasonable expectation for Gibbs in his first season.
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Jahmyr Gibbs’s fantasy football outlook is pretty good. As I mentioned earlier, first-round running backs have an incredibly high success rate. How good, you ask? I’ll just leave this tweet from @GrahamBarfield here:
TALENT
2023 OPPORTUNITY
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 2, Pick 34 Overall: Sam LaPorta, Tight End, Iowa (6’3” 245 lbs)
Depth Chart:
TE1: Brock Wright
TE2: Sam LaPorta
TE3: James Mitchell
TE4: Shane Zylstra
TALENT
For as poorly as this wide receiver class was thought of, this tight end class is considered one of the deepest draft classes ever. Sam LaPorta was the second tight end taken in this class and there is a very good reason why. LaPorta will be the fifth tight end from Iowa currently in the NFL. Two of those tight ends, George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson, are both considered top-five tight ends in this league.
Sam LaPorta doesn’t just have pedigree, he has the tape to show he has NFL chops. He is a complete tight end. LaPorta is an excellent blocker with a bit of a nasty streak in him. Iowa lined him up all over the field, which speaks to his versatility. He has good speed for his size and has really quick feet. LaPorta moves very well for a big guy.
LaPorta runs very nice routes. While he has an average first step off the line of scrimmage, he knows how to create separation. LaPorta has a very nice release off the line of scrimmage when he is lined up inside. He also has good hands. While LaPorta doesn’t really excel at anything, he is good at everything.
2023 OPPORTUNITY
While the talent is there, the opportunities for rookie tight ends in the NFL are very limited. There is also the issue with the fact that the Lions don’t really seem to like throwing to their tight ends. Last year, the Lions only threw to their tight ends 16.5% of the time. Hockenson only averaged 6 targets a game before he was traded. After he was traded, all three of their tight ends managed to have a 6 target game a combined 1 time.
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Sam LaPorta is a very talented football player. The question is whether he will be a good fantasy football player in 2023. History of the position and a look at the Detroit Lions’ usage for tight ends in 2022 indicates that the answer is a resounding no.
TALENT
2023 OPPORTUNITY
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 3, Pick 68 Overall: Hendon Hooker, Quarterback, Tennessee (6’3” 217 lbs)
Depth Chart:
QB1: Jared Goff
QB2: Hendon Hooker
QB3: Nate Sudfeld
QB4: Adrian Martinez
TALENT
Everything that people were saying Will Levis was during the draft process, Hendon Hooker showed he actually was on tape. Hendon Hooker had the third-best tape of any of the 2023 quarterbacks drafted this year and it wasn’t particularly close.
Hooker has a very nice throwing motion with a quick release. He places the ball very well for his receivers and has above-average arm strength. The ball has some zip to it when Hooker throws it. Hooker was also very good at navigating the pocket.
When plays broke down, Hooker also showed some serious leg talent. The man is a very fast, athletic guy. The marks against Hooker are the offense he played is not an NFL offense. The issue I have with this criticism is that Will Levis played in a pro-style offense and looked terrible. I will take the guy who looks good on tape at quarterbacking every time. If Hooker wasn’t a 25-year-old prospect coming off a torn ACL, he would have been a first-rounder this year.
2023 OPPORTUNITY
For as good as Hooker looked on tape, the man is still rehabbing for a torn ACL. There is also the fact that the quarterback the Lions have had a very good year: Jared Goff was sixth in passing yards and fifth in passing touchdowns. The only way Hendon Hooker sees the field in 2023 is if Goff gets hurt.
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
The 2023 fantasy football outlook for Hendon Hooker is the same for all quarterbacks taken in the third round not named Russell Wilson – bad.
TALENT
2023 OPPORTUNITY
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 7, Pick 219 Overall: Antoine Green, Wide Receiver, North Carolina (6’2” 199 lbs)
Depth Chart:
WR1: Amon-Ra St. Brown
WR2: Jameson Williams
WR3: Marvin Jones Jr.
WR4: Josh Reynolds
WR5: Kalif Raymond
WR6: Antoine Green
TALENT
Antoine Green is a project, but that is what you should expect from a seventh-round pick. Green is a big guy with decent speed for his size, but he does not have breakaway speed. He is also not very strong for his size. The thing that stood out to me was that even with Drake Maye as his quarterback, he never found a way to excel. Green had mediocre hands and could not make difficult catches, whether they were contested jump ball or back shoulder catches. Antonie Green looks the part, but he is definitely a developmental project who does not make the routine plays that he should.
2023 OPPORTUNITY
At this point, Antoine Green is the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart. The only opportunities he will be receiving will be on special teams.
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Even with the Jameson Williams suspension, there is no clear path to fantasy relevance in 2023 for Antoine Green. Even with his athleticism, Green is a very raw project that will need a lot of work before we are talking about him in redraft leagues.
TALENT
2023 OPPORTUNITY
2023 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
