Lions Grades: Rookie Receivers, Defensive Backs Shine

Grading the Lions after a win in their preseason opener.

The Detroit Lions staved off a rally from the New York Giants, and secured a win in their preseason opener. 

A very slow start on offense was ignited by a big special teams play. The defense made enough plays to win in crunch time, and the depth showed itself strongly. 

Here are the grades for each position group, based on each group's performance in the Lions' 21-16 win Friday.

Quarterbacks: D+

Nate Sudfeld had an opportunity to make a statement in the preseason opener. He failed to capitalize, tossing two interceptions and failing to lead a touchdown drive despite playing into the third quarter.

His first pass set an ominous mood, as he was picked off on a deep pass intended for Jameson Williams. The second interception came later in the half, when he tried to thread the needle to Williams on a dagger concept.

In addition to the two giveaways, he failed to connect with Dylan Drummond in the end zone on fourth-and-goal. He finished 15-of-28 for 194 yards. The veteran was able to connect with Williams on a two-point conversion, where the wideout made a nifty one-handed grab.

Adrian Martinez played just three series, and piloted the game-winning drive. He used his legs to pick up a key first down on the final possession, and punched in the game-winning score on a sneak.

After the game, Dan Campbell said newly signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will get reps at the expense of Martinez. Neither passer who played Friday showed enough consistency to threaten the new addition to the room for the backup spot.

Running backs: C

Jahmyr Gibbs played several series, allowing fans to get a taste of why the Lions were so high on him in the NFL Draft. The Alabama product rushed six times for 19 yards, and showcased his receiving abilities with an 18-yard catch-and-run to convert a third down.

Perhaps his most impressive play came on an incomplete pass. Facing a blitz, the rookie stepped up, and popped the blitzer to keep Sudfeld on his feet. It was a solid display for the young player in a difficult aspect of the game.

Once Gibbs exited, it became an exhibit for the Lions’ competitors for the third running back spot. Campbell turned to Mo Ibrahim first, but the UDFA left briefly with an injury and gave way to Devine Ozigbo.

It was predominantly Ibrahim and Ozigbo, with a dash of Benny Snell late in the game. Ozigbo led with 31 yards on 11 carries, while Snell had six touches for 23 yards. Craig Reynolds and Jermar Jefferson didn’t play.

Wide receivers: B-

All eyes were on Jameson Williams coming into the game. He was prevalent throughout the gameplan, as he was targeted early and often. Ultimately, the results were disappointing, as he caught just two of his seven targets.

The Alabama product had a critical drop on a pass that hit him in stride and likely would’ve ended in a score. He did contribute as a run blocker, and hauled in a two-point conversion in the third quarter.

Other young wideouts made key impressions. Undrafted rookies Chase Cota and Dylan Drummond were successful. Cota, for one, hauled in a game-high 60 yards and four receptions. Drummond, meanwhile, had an opportunity to make a splash, but couldn’t haul in a fourth-and-goal pass from Sudfeld.

Seventh-round pick Antoine Green added three catches for 36 yards. Cota had moved quietly throughout camp, so eyes will be on him moving forward throughout the preseason.

Tight ends: C

Sam LaPorta started, a sign of how the coaching staff views the talented rookie. However, he dropped his only target on a fourth down to end Detroit’s second series.

Brock Wright caught one pass, a 10-yard connection with Sudfeld. The top performer was James Mitchell, who hauled in three passes for 53 yards and did most of his damage in the open field.

Limited last season due to injury, the second-year tight end showed off athleticism that could make him a legitimate threat in the passing game.

New addition Daniel Helm was penalized twice, once for a false start and another for holding.

Offensive line: C

The Lions rested their top six linemen, leaving the second-teamers to handle much of the work. Rookie Colby Sorsdal put forth an encouraging debut, which is encouraging after a strong camp as of late.

Sudfeld did feel heat for much of the first half. His first interception came as a result of being hit while he threw. He was not sacked, though.

Martinez was sacked once in the fourth quarter by Habakkuk Baldonado. The unit remained penalty free for the entire evening. Germain Ifedi had a strong evening, as did Bobby Hart.

Defensive line: B+

The Okwara brothers made a big-time statement Friday, combining for four sacks. Julian, who needed a good performance, provided three sacks, as he proved to be unblockable on third downs.

Viewed as a player on the roster bubble, Julian Okwara took advantage of his snaps, and got after New York quarterback Tommy DeVito for three sacks, including a key one on the final possession to set up a fourth-and-long.

James Houston also excelled in his snaps, as he pressured the quarterback multiple times and recorded a tackle for loss.

John Cominsky played throughout the first half, and had a solid evening. He blew up a screen pass early in the game, and recorded another TFL later. 

Linebackers: B-

Jack Campbell got plenty of snaps throughout the first half. Though he didn’t do anything eye-popping, he showed great discipline in both the run and pass game.

He shadowed James Robinson, and forced an incompletion in the second quarter, using the sideline to his advantage and never taking his eyes off his man. Later in the drive, he stuck his nose in on back- to-back run stops that forced a turnover on downs.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin had a tackle for loss, as well.

Secondary: B+

Without Cam Sutton, the Lions leaned on their youth. Brian Branch made noise early when he diagnosed a short pass and blew it up, smacking the receiver for a short gain. The Alabama product demonstrated skill and aggression in his reps Friday.

Starling Thomas teamed up with Cominsky to blow up the early screen pass, and held his own in coverage.

Will Harris and Chase Lucas both struggled. Harris was penalized twice, and allowed a third-down conversion from DeVito to Cole Beasley. Meanwhile, Lucas was beaten twice playing the slot corner position.

Undrafted rookie Brandon Joseph secured the game-sealing interception on fourth-and-15. 

Special teams: A-

Maurice Alexander ignited what had been an otherwise dismal start for the special teams unit, with his third-quarter punt return score. He made multiple defenders miss early in his 95-yard dash, before sprinting the final 50 yards untouched.

Both Parker Romo and Riley Patterson nailed their only field-goal attempts. Romo had a kickoff ruled out of bounds, although it had stopped perfectly in front of the sideline before the coverage team knocked it out of bounds in an effort to recover it.