ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Rookie WR tears ACL, Gibbs emerges as Lions’ offensive centerpiece at OTAs
Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell opened the OTA media session with unfortunate news about an injury, revealing that rookie wide receiver Kendrick Law suffered a torn ACL during practice.
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“That’s part of it, and it’s a harsh reality,” Campbell said. “But he’ll get it out of the way early, have his whole career in front of him.”
Campbell acknowledged that the setback cast an early shadow over an otherwise productive spring.
“I hate to start with that. It’s a bit of a negative,” Campbell said. “But everybody else, we’re doing good. Everybody else is improving.”
The Lions scaled back Thursday’s (June 4) workload following two intense practice days, focusing primarily on walkthroughs, individual drills, and special teams work.
Campbell emphasized that player development at this stage of the offseason centers more on mental growth than physical evaluation.
“What are we trying to get out of it? It’s the mental. It’s the processing speed,” Campbell said. “Can this player learn from that mistake? Are they making the same mistake again? Can they process it faster?”
Campbell noted that players’ ability to absorb coaching and quickly recognize situations could influence depth chart decisions heading into training camp.
→ Detroit Lions hit with early setback as rookie wide receiver tears ACL in OTAs
Gibbs takes the reins
One player expected to carry a significantly larger role this season is running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
With Detroit entering a new era in the backfield, Campbell made clear the offense will revolve heavily around the dynamic playmaker.
“Gibbs is going to be our bell cow now,” Campbell said. “We’re going to hang our hat on him quite a bit.”
Campbell pushed back on the notion that Gibbs is simply a perimeter runner.
“He can run every scheme that anybody’s ever run,” Campbell said. “He’s not just an outside runner. He’s not just a space runner. He can create his own space in the middle.”
While Gibbs is expected to shoulder a larger workload, Campbell stressed that Detroit’s offense will continue to spread responsibilities among several key contributors, including wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, tight end Sam LaPorta, and running back Isiah Pacheco.
“We expect him to have a big year for us,” Campbell said of Gibbs. “We’re going to put a lot on his plate in the run and pass game.”
Ground game remains identity
Campbell also addressed the Lions’ offensive identity, reiterating that Detroit’s success will continue to be built around its rushing attack after the team struggled to consistently establish the run late last season.
“Everything here starts on the ground on offense,” Campbell said. “It will always start on the ground.”
While play-action passing remains a major part of Detroit’s scheme, Campbell emphasized that its effectiveness depends on a productive ground game, and he didn’t mince words about what it takes to make a deep playoff run.
“If you want to go deep in the playoffs, you better be able to run the freaking ball,” Campbell said.
Campbell also praised new offensive coordinator Drew Petzing‘s leadership during the offseason program, citing improved communication and a unified message throughout the coaching staff.
“There’s one voice, and then it spreads from there,” Campbell said. “He’s done a good job with that.”
Secondary depth, defense take shape
The Lions continue to monitor the recovery of safety Kerby Joseph, though Campbell admitted uncertainty remains about when the standout defender will return to full strength.
“We’ve done everything we can do, and he’s done everything he can do to this point,” Campbell said. “We probably won’t know until we get into the thick of training camp.”
Detroit added several veteran defensive backs this offseason to provide depth.
Campbell highlighted growing competition in the secondary, noting that Chuck Clark, Avonte Maddox, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Erick Hallett, and others are battling for roster spots.
“I really like that room,” Campbell said. “It’s a pretty competitive group.”
On defense, Campbell said the Lions sought to add more pass-rush explosiveness this offseason but stressed that any edge rusher must still contribute against the run to earn playing time.
“We certainly wanted to see if we can add a little bit of juice on the perimeter,” Campbell said. “But they have to be able to hold up in the run game, or we can’t get them to the game.”
As OTAs continue, Campbell remains encouraged by the overall progress, even while acknowledging the limitations of non-contact spring practices.
“We’re doing a much better job of creating issues for one another and solving issues,” Campbell said. “That’s really the benefit of it right now.”
The Lions will continue their offseason program through June before reporting for training camp later this summer.