Preseason Updates: Detroit Lions

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One of the best and most comprehensive features we offer every year is our Footballguys Preseason Updates. Every week this month, Bob Henry, Jason Wood, Clayton Gray, and their team of Footballguys Staffers cover every player that matters from every NFL team. It's 32-plus pages of some of the most comprehensive coverage you'll find. It's probably worth the Footballguys Premium Subscription by itself.

Updates from Week 2

Preseason Updates: Quarterbacks

The backup quarterback spot remains unsettled. Hooker got the start against the Falcons, but coaches pulled him earlier than planned after a pair of first-half fumbles. Kyle Allen stepped in, and the offense began to click. Hooker has shown growth in practice but hasn’t carried it over to game situations, and patience may be wearing thin. While Ben Johnson is gone, his bond with Jared Goff still lingers, and the rhythm between the two, shown in Netflix’s “Quarterback,” offers hope that some of Johnson’s imprint will carry over under new offensive coordinator John Morton. Still, the backup quarterback spot is a major question for Detroit’s fantasy-relevant players if Goff misses time.

Preseason Updates: Running Backs

Jahmyr Gibbs continues to trend toward a larger receiving role. Gibbs has averaged 40 snaps from the slot and 42 snaps out wide in his first two years, but he’s been lining up more as a wideout this summer, and it’s looking like less of an experiment and more of a plan. Position coach Tashard Choice, whose history with Gibbs goes back to 2020 at Georgia Tech, called Gibbs different and considers it his duty to help Gibbs reach his ceiling. David Montgomery won’t be an afterthought, however, as Choice noted in the ESPN piece that Detroit has continued to work this summer on packages that utilize both backs. “We've got some different stuff to make sure both of them get a chance to get the football to run the football and be in there together,” Choice said.  “But the biggest thing that I try to preach to them is to make the most of your opportunities."