The preseason is the time for NFL rookies to showcase what they might be able to provide immediately to their new teams. That was on display again Saturday with one Detroit Lions rookie — Skyler Gill-Howard.
The 2026 sixth-rounder had just one tackle on the stat sheet. But he was around the ball a lot against the Washington Commanders. His one tackle was for loss, and he registered a quarterback hit.
After Saturday’s Week 2 preseason game, Campbell addressed the latest Gill-Howard performance that left him impressed. Campbell did that while revealing his nickname for the 23-year-old.
“‘Sun Bleach’ just continues to make plays. He does it in practice. You can feel him out there, and he just is relentless, and he plays snap to whistle, and he’s all out,” said Campbell, via Detroit News’ Nolan Bianchi.
As is the case with all players who go off the board late in the draft, there’s a reason for it. Campbell spoke on that reason with Gill-Howard but then added how the rookie is overcoming that deficiency this preseason.
“He knows he’s not a huge guy. But he knows who he is, and he knows how he has to play. He plays with high effort, and he’s crafty, man,” said Campbell. “He’s explosive, and he’s violent.”
Lions’ Dan Campbell Offers Blunt Take on Rookie Skyler Gill-Howard