Detroit Lions rookie edge rusher Derrick Moore sounds ready to play in Week 1 following another hamstring injury suffered in training camp.
Head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Friday that Moore "should be good to go," according to Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi, with Bianchi also adding that Moore told him that he's "full 100% to go, and I'm ready."
With this being Moore's second hamstring injury that he's recovering from in camp, fans shouldn't anticipate a ton of reps from the rookie edge rusher in his NFL debut. While it's likely he'll help out throughout the game in relief of DJ Wonnum and Aidan Hutchinson, he shouldn't be worn out too quickly.
Moore shouldn't get a ton of snaps in NFL debut
Moore looked excellent once he returned from his first hamstring injury in camp, dominating practice and his preseason debut with one sack, one forced fumble, one tackle for loss, and two pressures. He looked like a fantastic draft pick after that contest, especially with Detroit in need of some major help on their front seven.
But, with two hamstring injuries already hampering him this offseason, the Lions shouldn't overwork him - especially since the team is about to start their year with a short turnaround between Week 1 and Week 2. They play at home against the Saints on Sunday, but then travel to Buffalo to face off with the Bills on Thursday for their first primetime game of the year.
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Injuries are always going to be at the forefront of fans' minds with this Lions squad. 2025 proved to be the epitome of doom and despair as it related to their constantly lengthy injury reports, and this year the team looked to prevent that same fate with far less physical practices and the cancellation of joint practices.
The result of that was extremely limited serious injuries in camp, with the two exceptions being Isiah Pacheco and Cade Mays. Both are on the IR to begin the season, in addition to Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph.
Still, to have retained the healthy defenders that the Lions came into the offseason with, and to be fielding almost all of their typical starters across the board on defense is such an improvement upon 2025. Moore is a factor there, but again, the team should avoid trotting him out too much against New Orleans with Wonnum, Alim McNeil, Tyleik Williams, Ahmed Hassanein, and Eric O'Neill all available, too.
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