Detroit Lions second-round rookie Derrick Moore has gotten off to a slow start. Despite not seeing the field as much as the team would like, head coach Dan Campbell noted that only one thing can help him: getting more time on the field.
Campbell told 97.1 The Ticket on his weekly call that Moore is growing at his own pace, and when he is ready, he will start to develop on the field.
“He needs reps,” admitted Campbell on what is holding Moore back. “He’s got to continue to try to turn it on here.”
Campbell is not calling out the coaching staff for not playing him more. Rather, he is saying that the rookie needs to prove in practice that he is going to be trusted on the field.
“There were flickers there that were better than certainly Buffalo, but right now we are going to use him as we see fit and see if we can get him to grow a little bit,” admitted Campbell on the growth of Moore. “Once he starts taking the next step, then he’s going to get more. So the ball is in his court.”
The 44th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft has just 44 snaps in three weeks. Campbell is not worried, though. He admitted that every rookie will grow at a different pace.
“Every young player grows at a different rate; some hit it quick, some it takes half of a season, some it takes a year,” acknowledged Campbell. “The kid is working in practice, and I would anticipate the kid is going to find his way here pretty soon.”
Moore has just two pressures in three weeks.
Detroit Lions Anticipate More from Derrick Moore
Moore played 18 snaps in a rotational role in the Lions’ season opener. He was mostly on the field for passing downs. In Week 2, he saw more run snaps, but only played 17 snaps.
Then, in Week 3, he only played nine snaps. It was disappointing. Of the 17 rookie edge rushers with at least 10 pass rush snaps, he ranks eighth in pressures. However, he is 12th in pass rush productivity and 11th in pass rush win rate, per PFF. He is one of four qualified rushers without a run stop.
He was the ninth-drafted edge rusher, so he is not far behind expectations. Still, there has not been enough development.
Lions Need to Get Derrick Moore on the Field More
Moore is third in the Lions’ edge rusher rotation, but the team does not use many edge rushers. Both Derrick Barnes and Trevor Nowaske are linebackers who shift out to the edge at times.
More than that, the team has been highly reliant on Aidan Hutchinson and D.J. Wonnum. Hutchinson has 202 snaps, Wonnum has 140 snaps, and Moore has 44 snaps.
Campbell would like the gap between Moore and Wonnum to be a bit closer. However, he knows Moore has to earn it. We will see if he can get on the field a bit more in the coming weeks.
Dan Campbell Sends Strong Message to Lions 2nd-Round Rookie