Jack Campbell was one of seven linebackers at the beginning of the Lions’ regular season. When injuries decimated the defensive line, suddenly the second-year player was the sole surviving starter. Campbell has stepped up as an elite player and is leading the Lions’ defense.
Jack Campbell-Surviving Starter Sets Standard For Lions Defense
Pro Football Focus recently gave Campbell its highest grade of 85.5 for his outstanding performance against the Green Bay Packers. In the game against the Indianapolis Colts last month, Campbell received a game ball. Head coach Dan Campbell praised how the young defender was doing his job and “playing lights out.”
Campbell Becoming An Elite Player In His Second Year
The 6’5″ 246 lb. University of Iowa graduate was selected in the first round by the Lions in the 2023 draft. Tight end Sam LaPorta, Campbell’s college roommate, was taken by Detroit in the second round. Campbell’s strong performance in his rookie year, (95 tackles with 43 solo, 2 sacks, and a pass defense) led to his being named a starter along with Derrick Barnes and Alex Anzalone .
Despite being only a second-year player Campbell was ready for the challenge. He is improving and making more of an impact with every outing. Campbell is already ahead of last season’s stats with four games remaining in the regular season. Safety Brian Branch leads the team with 54 tackles. Campbell is close behind with 51 solo tackles out of 98 total, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.
Campbell is playing at an elite level and setting new standards for the team’s defense. However, no one could have foreseen the onslaught of injuries requiring Campbell to step up and lead the team as a second-year player.
Injuries Decimate The Lions Defense
Adding some much-needed depth in the offseason, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and his team knew they had a solid group of replacements in Malcolm Rodriguez , Jalen Reeves-Maybin , Ben Niemann , and Trevor Nowaske . They were confident if a player went down with an injury, one of the reserves could easily step up to fill that position.
However, it wasn’t long before injuries began to pile up. Veteran defensive end John Cominsky , rookie DE Nate Lynn, and second-year defensive tackle David Bada were lost during the pre-season. Early in the season, the Lions lost DE Marcus Davenport with a triceps injury and DT Kyle Peko with a pectoral tear. In October, Lions fans were devastated when elite edge rusher and defense captain, Aidan Hutchinson was lost for the season with a horrific leg injury. It was an enormous loss for the team. Before his injury, Hutchinson was well on his way to being nominated for Defensive Player of the Year.
Things went from bad to worse in November. It was another crushing loss when Anzalone broke his arm in week 11. The veteran linebacker had been outstanding this season. Credited with 56 tackles, Anzalone was all over the field disrupting the opposition.
The injuries continued to mount. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu , rookie cornerback Ennis Rakestraw Jr . defensive end Levi Onwuzurike , and DE Josh Paschal ended up on the injury report. No one anticipated that four months later, the entire defensive line would be so thoroughly decimated by injuries that even the replacements ended up on injured reserve. At one point, the Lions’ defense felt like a stack of dominos. Once one player went down, the others began to topple in a chain reaction. The “next man up” theory was put to the test.
Jack Campbell Leads Lions Replacements In Injury-Depleted Defense
Meanwhile, Lions’ GM Brad Holmes and the front office went to work. After trading for Pro Bowl talent Za’Darius Smith, Holmes continued to find veteran reinforcements to shore up the injured line, adding Ezekiel Turner, Al-Quadin Muhammad , and David Long, Jr . Over the next few weeks, he cleverly poached Kwon Alexander, Jonah Williams, Myles Adams , and Jamal Adams off NFL practice squads. But with so many new faces on defense, it was up to Campbell to lead the way as the only surviving starter.
With Anzalone out of the lineup, Campbell assumed the communication duties, ensuring everyone on the field knew the play call from the sideline. Campbell credits his teammates and doesn’t waste time reflecting on the injuries. “I feel like, yeah, next man up. No excuses,” said Campbell. “I feel like the room as a whole did a good job. Just need to continue to push it. Just continuing to improve on the little things.”
The recently acquired veterans appreciate his take-charge attitude. Former Arizona Cardinals linebacker, Turner is grateful for his leadership. “He’s been a huge rock,” Turner said. “I know Jack is still young, but we treat him as the old vet in the room. He knows the playbook inside and out and health-wise he’s been here longer than anybody.
Despite the onslaught of injuries, the Lions’ patchwork defense is performing admirably. The team extended their winning streak to eleven straight victories. The Lions are the most balanced and complete team in the NFL, leading in most power ranking metrics. They continue to hold a slim one-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL’s toughest division. The Philadelphia Eagles, also one game behind, threaten the Lions’ number-one seed standing. But as the team has done throughout the season, the Lions remain focused on one game at a time, one victory at a time.
Main Image: Junfu Han – USA Today Sports
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