How the Lions’ decision to select Jahmyr Gibbs was influenced by Marshall Faulk

The 2024 season saw one of the more productive offenses in recent memory from the Detroit Lions. The Lions scored 564 points to finish 15-2 and win the NFC North for the second time in a row, led by quarterback Jared Goff and a number of talented skill position players. Ben Johnson, who spent the last three seasons as Detroit’s offensive coordinator before leaving to take a position as head coach of the Chicago Bears, will not be with the team. But many of the elements that contributed to that success will remain in place.

In addition to leading the league in scoring the previous season, the Lions’ offensive success was demonstrated by two underlying offensive measures. After scoring on 94 of their 182 drives, Detroit led the league in both touchdown efficiency (37.4 percent) and scoring rate (51.6 percent). Detroit led the league in scoring last season (33.2 points per game), according to the team’s website, because they were the best team in the league at completing drives in the end zone and refusing to settle for field goals. Last year, Detroit had 182 offensive drives, 26 of which ended in field goals and 68 of which ended in touchdowns. In this area, Buffalo’s touchdown efficiency of 35.8% placed it second only to Detroit.

These are the Detroit Lions’ Thursday, June 19 headlines. 1.) Sports Illustrated categorized Frank Ragnow retirement as terrible in their article about the NFL offseasons good, bad, and ugly. 2.) Through the beginning of offseason practices, the Detroit News covered the effects of new running backs coach Tashard Choice on the squad. 3.) The most recent edition of Lions Wire’s series, which profiles the greatest injury news of the 2024 season, concentrated on the team’s numerous defensive injuries.

According to a Bleacher report, the Lions may be interested in acquiring defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux from the New York Giants during the trade deadline.

When the Detroit Lions selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall choice in the 2023 draft, they came under fire. In a time when the running back position is being undervalued, general manager Brad Holmes had to put up with a lot of skeptics who criticized his decision to select the Alabama product.

In the end, the choice has worked out nicely for Gibbs and the Lions. He contributed as a pass-catcher and ran for more than 1,400 yards last season, demonstrating how his explosiveness has been the ideal fit to the scheme. In a recent interview with the Field Talk Podcast, Holmes said that a discussion he had with Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk contributed to his conviction about the selection. The renowned rushing back was elaborating on why it will be crucial for the league to have adaptable running backs with broader skill sets going forward because to salary cap restrictions.