National Football League

Lions training camp preview: All eyes on Jahmyr Gibbs; Are defensive issues fixed?

Updated Jul. 24, 2023 4:53 p.m. ET

The Detroit Lions may be the betting favorites to win the NFC North, but they aren't acting like it yet. Head coach Dan Campbell has made it a point of emphasis with his staff and players to not buy into those expectations quite yet.

"Everything I told them is about work," Campbell said before the team's first practice on Sunday. "It's about the work and I've said that from day one and it will always be the same message. It's about work. That's what we do. You have to go earn you right every year. It doesn't matter what the players are, the coaches, expectations, where you were, where you're going."

Still, the Lions' readiness to take the division crown will be under a microscope this preseason — as will a plethora of other questions that need answers. See below for more of them.

Are defensive issues fixed (especially in the backfield?)

Part of the confidence in the Lions heading into 2023 is the fact that they weren't as far off as many perceived last season. The offense under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson flourished, averaging 35 points a game to start the season.

The problem was the defense letting up 35.1. Seriously.

A lot of that had to do with subpar play from the defensive backfield, with Detroit letting up the most passing yards in the league. They made a change around Halloween, firing secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant and to their credit, it seemed to help. The defense clamped down in the second half of the season, allowing the Lions to close out the season with an 8-2 stretch. They just barely missed the playoffs and punctuated a winning season by keeping the rival Green Bay Packers out of the postseason too in a Week 18 beatdown at Lambeau.

Then, the Lions' front office got straight to work. They signed cornerbacks Emmanuel Moseley and Cam Sutton before making a splash by signing C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who was fresh off a Super Bowl appearance with the Philadelphia Eagles. It seemed Detroit was determined to not let their pass defense be the cause of a slow start in a season where they are now the favorites.

Then, on Monday, potential disaster struck. Gardner-Johnson went down with a non-contact right leg injury and was carted off the field after only the second day of camp. Reports are that Gardner-Johnson is now day-to-day and he avoided a major injury, but it's less than ideal for the vet to miss out on valuable reps with his new team. This also came after head coach Dan Campbell announced Moseley would start camp on the Physically Unable to Perform list after not being in attendance on Sunday due to medical reasons.

C. J. Gardner-Johnson: 'Lions talent a little better than Eagles'

If the Lions want to not "Lions" their season, they're going to need all the moves they made this offseason to pan out and stay healthy.

Can Jared Goff keep up his 2022 level of play?

Goff had the third-best season of his career in 2022, throwing for 4,438 yards and 29 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, the latter of which tied for a career low. He led the team to an incredible level of production and a top-five offense. Detroit averaged 380 yards a game, which ranked fourth in the league. They scored an average of 26.6 points, good for fifth.

A lot of that also has to do with coordinator Ben Johnson, who drew head-coaching interest immediately following the season but elected to stay with the Lions and shut down any further interviews after interviewing with Indianapolis and Houston.

"There are so many things going on here, so many good people, coaches, players," Johnson said in a podcast with the team's official website. "I love the offensive staff, everyone we have on board there. I love the players. I love coming in to work every day. Coach Campbell is incredible. So, end of the day, talking with my family, it just made sense. It made sense, don't ruin a good thing."

With another year under their belt, the players are now undoubtedly going to benefit from that continuity, and none as much as Goff himself.

"It's really cool to be able to show up this week and even in OTAs and be like, ‘OK, we know the formations, we know the base stuff,' and be able to, ‘OK what are our tweaks, what can we get better at? What are the things that we really fell short of last year?' And find ways to get even better,'" Goff said this past Sunday.

In short, it seems the Lions offense is poised to pick up where it left off and Goff could be in for another career year because of it.

Who will step up while Jameson Williams is suspended?

Right before training camp, the team traded for wide receiver Denzel Mims, a big-bodied receiver who didn't quite pan out for the Jets in three seasons with the team. The 6-foot-3 former Baylor product was presumably brought in to give the team an ‘X' receiver while they wait out Williams' suspension.

Amon-Ra St. Brown was the Lions' workhorse in the receiving game last year but St. Brown thrives more out of the slot. And while he runs a diverse route tree, he shouldn't be expected to fill that outside role. The good news is Mims has already impressed the coaching staff in his short time with the Lions. One coach told me Mims "has wheels" and made a few plays on the defense in just his first day of practice.

The addition of Mims should balance out Detroit's offense until Williams gets back and beyond and watching Mims at training camp sounds like it will be a treat for Lions fans for now.

Will Gibbs justify his draft position?

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs figures to factor into the receiving game. One source told me to think of him more as a weapon rather than just a running back. That would go a long way in explaining the Lions taking the Alabama product at No. 12 overall. Gibbs should also provide some versatility, adding interesting wrinkles in Johnson's system as Detroit aims to live up to the expectations placed on them this offseason.

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.

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