Detroit Lions rookie Derrick Moore got hurt early on during the teams' training camp this year, putting a pause on his development and forcing him to miss their first preseason game of the year.
Since returning to camp following that first preseason contest, though, you'd be hard pressed to read anything negative about the rookie pass rusher. A multi-sack day, in addition to a rep where he beat out rookie tackle Blake Miller for a sack on Jared Goff, helped to jump start the hype around him again that had died down just a bit due to his injury.
A great example of that hype came from a Lions player - fellow rookie defensive lineman Skyler Gill-Howard:
"Big 8 is back! Tell them you’re back, D-Mo! He had like 20 sacks today! My goodness! He’s fast!," exclaimed Gill-Howard during a media scrum for Moore.
Moore's return to training camp shows he's ready to contribute to rookie buzz
With Moore's return, we're getting an even better overall look at Detroit's rookie class in training camp. So far, the early impression is that the class is developing very nicely with more reps and some live action in preseason.
Miller, Gill-Howard, and Keith Abney II feel like the biggest beneficiaries of having played in the preseason, with Gill-Howard specifically earning some more pass rushing reps in camp because of how well he played then.
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Miller also posted the best run blocking rate of any rookie lineman in preseason in Week 1, a great sign that the Lions did the right thing by going for the most "pro ready" tackle in this year's tackle-heavy class.
Lions' pass rush unit beginning to look complete
Detroit's pass rush unit has gotten some interesting competition added this offseason, with Ahmed Hassanein storming onto the scene after losing out on his entire rookie year with an injury. He's likely to make the cut for the Lions barring injury or a major step back in camp or preseason, but Moore is adding even more competition to the Lions' open starting job at the edge.
D.J. Wonnum hasn't been mentioned too much in camp, but he's also atop the Lions' unofficial depth chart headed into Week 2 of the preseason. So, it may be his job to lose to one of Moore, or even Hassanein.
Regardless, it sounds like the Lions' defensive line overall has looked spry in training camp. It could mean nothing, especially since Detroit's offensive line is in a bit of flux right now, but their current potential unit feels like the best one placed around Aidan Hutchinson in his career.
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