Jack Campbell Is Highest PFF-Graded Detroit Lion in Preseason Opener

The rookie linebacker provided a strong first impression.

The Detroit Lions notched a win in their preseason opener against the New York Giants. 

Without many of their starters, the reserves on offense struggled to move the ball for a majority of the afternoon. A dazzling punt return by Maurice Alexander and a strong final drive, led by Adrian Martinez, provided the spark Detroit needed to steal the win. 

The defensive depth shined Friday, led by Julian Okwara's three sacks. A 2020 third-round pick, Okwara finished as the seventh-highest graded defender by Pro Football Focus. 

"I thought, for the most part, we had pressure all day," said Lions third-year head coach Dan Campbell. "Now, there are things we got to work on. We’re still behind the quarterback on some (plays), but all in all, certainly, we created enough pressure to create some problems for them offensively."

Rookie linebacker Jack Campbell was the best of the bunch, according to PFF. He earned a 90.6 overall defensive grade, after playing a total of 25 snaps. 

On offense, the highest-graded player was undrafted wideout Chase Cota. The Oregon product led the team with four catches for a game-high 60 yards. 

Here are PFF's highest-and-lowest-graded players from Friday's preseason win. 

Top PFF-graded offensive players

• WR Chase Cota (77.2)
• QB Adrian Martinez (74.4)
• OT Connor Galvin (72.4)
• QB Nate Sudfeld (72.2)
• TE James Mitchell (71.3)

Worst PFF-graded offensive players

• WR Maurice Alexander (44.1)
• FB Jason Cabinda (43.4)
• TE Daniel Helm (43.0)
• OT Obinna Eze (42.3)
• TE Sam LaPorta (36.7)

Top PFF-graded defensive players

• LB Jack Campbell (90.6)
• DT Levi Onwuzurike (89.3)
• DE John Cominsky (86.8)
• CB Tae Hayes (80.3)
• LB Derrick Barnes (79.5)

Worst PFF-graded defensive players

• LB Trevor Nowaske (50.7)
• LB Anthony Pittman (49.0)
• DT Corey Durden (44.1)
• CB Chase Lucas (37.5)
• CB Will Harris (33.7)