Player tabbed Lions' most promising building block is no who you think it is

Since coming on as the Detroit Lions' general manager, in full concert with head coach Dan Campbell, Brad Holmes has had the draft at the core of how the roster is built. The success of the last few years proves that plan is working, even with the ongoing challenge of having lots of business to take care of as those savvy draft picks get to their second contracts.

When thinking about who the Lions "core players" or "building blocks" are, certain names come easily: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson. With an eye on now as well as the future, a case can be made for others like Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph and Sam LaPorta. Some more recent draft picks (Terrion Arnold, Tate Ratledge, Christian Mahogany) could put themselves in that conversation in the coming years.

Moe Moton of Bleacher Report has named each NFL team's most promising building block heading into the 2025 season. For some teams it's obvious (the Chicago Bears-Caleb Williams), for others it's a struggle to find a good one and for still others, like the Lions, there are multiple players who can make sense.

Lions 'most intriguing building block' is outside the box just enough to make perfect sense

For the Lions' most promising building block, Moton chose linebacker Jack Campbell.

“Linebacker Alex Anzalone’s status is questionable ahead of training camp. After skipping organized team activities, he made a cryptic post on Instagram," wrote Moe Moton. "If the Lions see Campbell as their long-term starter at linebacker, it could impact how they handle a potential contract dispute with Anzalone.”

As Moton noted, Anzalone skipped OTAs and mandatory minicamp as he heads into the final year of his contract. Skipping voluntary OTAs was nothing new for him, but if the Lions had actually had a mandatory minicamp it's fair to assume he would not have been present. Another rather cryptic Instagram post in early June fueled fresh speculation about where contract talks are.

It's unclear if Anzalone will report to training camp on time if he doesn't have a new contract. It's possible the offer he gets (or perhaps has already gotten) may not be to his liking or a complete reflection of how important to the Lions' defense he is.

READ MORE: Aidan Hutchinson called contender to dethrone stud defender for top NFL award

Heading into his third season, Campbell has said he needs to be "consistent with the mundane things." Along with a team-leading 131 tackles last season, he had the ninth-best coverage grade among off-ball linebackers from Pro Football Focus (74.2) as he made some notable improvement there from his rookie season.

As Moton suggested, how the Lions feel about Campbell may show in how they handle what seems to be a contract dispute with Anzalone.

A transition to Campbell as the leader of the Lions' linebacking corps (and the defense as a whole) is coming at some point. He has worn the "green dot" as the on-field defensive play caller when Anzalone has missed time in each of the last two years, most notably the six games Anzalone missed due to a broken arm last season.

At first glance, anointing Campbell as the Lions' most promising building block seems a tad aggressive. But digging a little bit reveals how important he is, and how important he will be down the road as he takes on a wider-ranging role in the defense.

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