Getty Dan Campbell coaching the Lions against the Packers in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are setting forth on planning for the offseason, and a big part of that plan will be getting an up close and personal look at several of the players that will be draft eligible in 2022.
Good news for Detroit came in the fact that the team was named one of the coaching staffs that will be leading the 2022 Senior Bowl along with the New York Jets. That will allow Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes and company to get a full view of the talent that is on display in the hopes of building their roster in the right way moving forward for the future.
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The Lions and Jets were revealed to be the leadership teams for the game this year, and Detroit general manager Brad Holmes was able to react to that news when giving his end of season press conference. As Holmes conceded, it’s a big opportunity for the Lions to unearth some potential hidden gems from the game that can work to Detroit’s advantage as it relates to building a roster.
“We’ll start with the Senior Bowl, we’ll get eyes on these guys, the roster looks good,” Holmes told the media when speaking about the game. “I know back when I was with the Rams, we were able to acquire a lot of guys that played in that game and guys that had success. There’s a lot of gold to be found there at that game.”
The fact that the Lions will have the ability to coach the game and have direct contact with players is huge. Not only will they get to scout that week, but they will be able to see players from both sides, allowing Holmes, Campbell and others to collaborate better on building a roster.
Lions Had Notable Studs to Come From 2021 Senior Bowl
The Lions have not been the only team to benefit from the Senior Bowl in recent seasons. The game has served as a launching pad for several star players who have gotten their careers off to fast starts. Most notably, the Rams under Holmes used the game to unearth Cooper Kupp, who has become a star receiver in the league.
Holmes leaned hard on the Senior Bowl just last season, where the Lions saw five total players from the game make up their team for 2021-22. The most notable player to play in the Senior Bowl last year from Detroit was linebacker Derrick Barnes, who was productive during the game with 3 total tackles. Kicker Riley Patterson also got on radars at the game by going 3-3 on kicks. Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu had 3 tackles to his credit during the game.
In total, the Lions had Barnes, Patterson, Melifonwu, defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and wide receiver Sage Surratt from the team, who was on Detroit’s practice squad. One would think that Detroit would be able to find even more players given their scouting staff is all on the same page and will all be ready to go for this game with a full season under their belt.
2022 Senior Bowl Primer
Always an annual tradition for the league ahead of the NFL Combine as well as the unofficial kickoff to the pre-draft process, the Senior Bowl will once again play out in Alabama this year. It’s one of the first events of the offseason where teams and players meet, and a key cog in the offseason evaluation period for the team.
This year’s game is scheduled for February 5 and will played at Hancock Whitney Stadium at University of South Alabama in Mobile. It will be televised by NFL Network starting at 2:30 p.m. EST, allowing fans to get an up close look at some of the players who could be joining their team in the future.
For Lions fans, this game will take on an added level of significance in 2022. Not only will the fans get a chance to look at players who could join the mix, but they will get a closer look at some of their coaching staff working hard on the field to lead those players.
That experience seems invaluable for a young team like Detroit, who is looking to turn the corner in a big way starting in 2022.
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