Getty Alex Anzalone makes a tackle against Seattle in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are suddenly hitting their stride a bit, winners of two games in a row. While that might not mean much for the 2022 season, it does mean a lot for many players on the roster fighting for roles.
With the second half in full swing, Lions players are going to begin to audition for the future a bit. As that audition has gotten going, there has already been more than a few statements made about the future for the team.
What does the stock watch look like amid Detroit’s latest winning streak? Here’s a fresh look at where some familiar faces stand.
Stock up: Tom Kennedy, Wide Receiver
No matter whether it’s the preseason or the regular season, all Tom Kennedy seems to do is make plays in key spots for the Lions.
Kennedy won a game for Detroit in the preseason with some nice touchdown catches, and he helped the Lions win a regular season game with an explosive 44 yard run which was fueled by his speed and agility.
With more injuries at wideout has come more opportunity for Kennedy to impress, and he’s certainly done that. It feels like a lock to say he’s going to be getting the chance to do even more of that into the future for the Lions this season.
Stock Down: D’Andre Swift, Running Back
Coming into Week 10, D’Andre Swift likely wanted to see much bigger production to cap his comeback from injury. Instead, he had another inconsistent day on the field for the Lions.
Swift got into the end zone against Chicago for a key score, but he had another tepid impact on the game, with just 12 total yards on the day between the run and the pass. That’s not something likely to please folks who want or need to see him break out late in the season.
Swift will need to have way more of an impact if the Lions are going to score some big wins down the stretch to perhaps buck the experts who think they are playoff pretenders.
Stock up: Jerry Jacobs, Cornerback
It doesn’t feel like a stretch to proclaim that the Lions’ midseason comeback has been fueled by the return of Jerry Jacobs to the team’s backfield.
A week after bringing the edge against Green Bay, Jacobs had another solid day in Chicago with a pair of tackles amid a great performance in the backfield. He’s been an important piece for the Lions so far this season, and his presence alone looks to be making the team’s defense better.
Jacobs has hit the ground running since being given a shot to come back off injury. That’s been huge for the Lions, and he is clearly trending upward in a major way this season.
Stock Down: DeShon Elliott, Safety
Over the past few weeks, the star of Kerby Joseph has risen at safety, which has meant a bit of a downturn for veteran DeShon Elliott.
Elliot put up just one tackle in the game against Chicago, but did have seven against the Packers. Still, it feels as if the Lions are loving what they are seeing from Joseph, which could mean players like Elliott take a bit of a back seat down the stretch in importance.
At this point, Elliott is still a quality veteran defender, but he may not be the big solution the Lions may have hoped for when they nabbed him on a short-term deal last offseason.
Stock up: Justin Jackson, Running Back
While Swift has struggled in recent weeks to get going off his injury, Justin Jackson has come on and looked like an intriguing piece for the team’s backfield while picking up the slack.
Jackson put up a combined 28 yards on the day in Chicago, and while that might not seem like much, it was enough to help the team move the chains a few times and spell Swift as well as Jamaal Williams when it was needed.
Jackson has proven to be a solid ball carrier as well as an able pass catcher out of the backfield. He might not be putting up huge numbers, but he probably doesn’t have to for the Lions to have success. It will be interesting to see where he trends the rest of the season.
Stock up: Alex Anzalone, Linebacker
While Alex Anzalone was picked on much of last season, he’s quietly putting together a very solid season for the Detroit defense.
Against Chicago, Anzalone put up six tackles, and has been a sound player for the team while acting as a veteran leader for the defense. That’s a good effort for a player who many fans had given up on, but he continues to show his value to the team in the meantime.
Credit Anzalone for having a solid season so far at linebacker, and actually having a solid career in Detroit thus far in spite of some of the abuse he takes. As the season goes on, he seems to only be gaining in confidence for the team.
Stock Down: Charles Harris, Defensive End
The Lions were able to depend on Charles Harris last year for 7.5 sacks, which was a gret total for the team. So far this season, he has just one sack and has been fighting through injury.
Harris hasn’t gotten off to a fast start since coming back, and the Lions likely would love to see more sacks and pocket pressure the rest of the way. If Harris could turn things around, he would help the defense transform itself.