Allen Park — Lions fans only got a small glimpse of rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the preseason. Playing in the opener, he logged six carries, caught one pass and gained 37 yards from scrimmage.
That’s hardly enough time to demonstrate his electric playmaking potential, but that was apparent during Tuesday’s padded scrimmage, when he took a handoff going right, made a sharp cut inside and proved to be untouchable in the second level, weaving his way around defenders and into the end zone for a long touchdown.
It was one of several big runs from Detroit’s backs on the day, which also saw David Montgomery burst through the middle of the defense before bouncing his run outside for 30-plus yards and Craig Reynolds getting around the right edge twice.
The total package, from the blocking to the second-level decisions by the backs, was encouraging for Detroit’s new running backs coach Scottie Montgomery, who has quickly impressed his pupils with his demanding, detail-oriented coaching style.
On the flip side of the equation, the players have also impressed their position coach. With Gibbs specifically, everyone understood the immense physical gifts he possessed, but his ability to process and execute everything being asked of him should allow him to make more impactful contributions early in the season.
“We’ve kind of opened it up,” Scottie Montgomery said. “We said that we were going to slowly get it to him in the beginning and then we just kind of threw it all at him. He really works at it. If you look at his notebook, if you look at his note-taking and the questions that I get over text message, or coming in a little bit earlier, trying to get a jump on the rest of the guys.”
As for David Montgomery, the lead back the Lions signed to a three-year deal as a free agent this offseason, he’s also played an invaluable role in Gibbs’ early development, according to their position coach.
“The level of professionalism you learn not from coaches, you learn from your peers,” Scottie Montgomery said. “That’s what you do. When I came into the league as a rookie, I had great guys around me. This was the standard. The standard is set. If you get off the standard, you’re not worried about your coach saying something. You’re worried about the rest of the grown men in the room saying something.
“(David Montgomery’s) leadership capability is going to help Jah (Gibbs) turn into a leader quickly. I think that he is also the guy that was able break Jah’s initial shell to be able to talk and communicate, or give him the ability to talk around the guys a little more.”
Shifting focus
Rookie Brian Branch surged to the top of Detroit’s depth chart midway through camp and is on track to be the team’s starting nickel corner. The versatile defender said he likes the role because it allows him to showcase his full skill set, whether that’s covering man-to-man or bringing big hits in run support.
Branch has performed so well he was held out of the team’s second preseason game and isn’t expected to play in Friday’s finale against Carolina either. That’s allowed him to shift focus to Detroit’s first regular-season opponent, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about (Chiefs quarterback Patrick) Mahomes since last week,” Branch said. “I think I’m going to really start watching film on them this week, for sure, just seeing what their tendencies are.”
Missing stars
A holdout and an injury could cause a key player from Detroit’s first two opponents to miss the respective matchups.
All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones still hasn’t reported in Kansas City as part of his effort to get a contract extension. In a social media post on Tuesday, he suggested he is prepared to stay away from the team until Week 8 of the regular season, forfeiting nearly $9 million in salary to make his point.
And Detroit’s Week 2 opponent, the Seattle Seahawks, are likely to be without one of their first-round draft picks, wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The team reported he could miss up to a month after undergoing wrist surgery this week.
Seattle’s other first-rounder, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, just recently returned from a two-week absence while dealing with a hamstring issue, which could impact his ability to fully contribute by Week 2.
Making progress
Lions cornerback Emmanuel Moseley, who remains on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from last season’s torn ACL, was spotted running a series of sprints up the hill at the team’s practice facility. It’s an obvious and positive sign of progress in his rehab.
At this stage, Moseley is trending toward remaining on PUP for the start of the regular season, which would require him to miss at least the first four games.
Lions move
The Lions waived safety Saivion Smith with an injury settlement. He had exited the preseason contest against Jacksonville last weekend with a leg injury.
Smith had been trying to make the roster 10 months after suffering a scary, season-ending neck injury that had required him to be taken off the field in an ambulance. He underwent a successful fusion surgery in November.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter/X: @Justin_Rogers