Getty Amani Oruwariye playing defense for the Lions vs. the Vikings in 2021.
The Detroit Lions struggled through the 2021-22 season, but even though the team finished with what many would consider an embarrassing 3-13-1 record, there were still tons of standout performances on the field.
From the emergence of several rookie players to the continued development of other youngsters, there were some huge moments to celebrate on the field even in spite of all the frustrations. Players led the way and had great seasons in order to push the Lions, and should get some spoils of this as a result.
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How should things stack up for the Lions in terms of MVP candidates and who should take home the award? Here’s a look.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Wide Receiver
A big reason the Lions were able to have such a strong finish to the year? The way St. Brown performed down the stretch for the team. The rookie not only shattered Roy Williams’ franchise record for receiving yards in a season by a first-year player in the game, he also managed to collect a stunning amount of receptions this year with 90 and 912 yards and 5 touchdowns. In addition to the passing touchdowns, St. Brown looked like a major weapon most of the season for the Lions running with the ball as well.
St. Brown has been on fire for the Lions down the stretch, and the catches he made late in the season proved how important he was for the Detroit offense. The Lions have seen St. Brown come into his own with big plays, and the fact he turned in more during the season finale is huge for his confidence. As a result, he has to be considered as the team’s MVP last year.
Charles Harris, Defensive End
Harris has yet to show signs of being a consistently elite pass rusher in the NFL throughout his early career, but he did with the Lions in 2021 given the major need Detroit had at the edge spot. The Lions re-made their defense this past offseason, and in previous years the team did not show an ability to get after the quarterback. That has disappeared thus far in 2021, and Harris was a major reason why with 7.5 sacks and 65 tackles. Having Harris come on in the way he did was huge for the defense, and he was a team leader for the way he played.
Watching highlights from the best game Harris played in 2021, he is clearly a very talented player:
Harris has to be considered as Detroit’s MVP thanks to what he did.
Penei Sewell, Offensive Tackle
Would it be odd to give the MVP award to a rookie? Perhaps, but Sewell was no ordinary rookie for the Lions, which was clear from the start. The 2021-22 season was a strong start for Sewell and his career in the league is more than a bit of an understatement. The offensive tackle excelled no matter where he was playing. Sewell was one of the top-graded tackles in the league as a rookie, and routinely opened eyes for his ability to keep whomever was playing quarterback for the Lions upright as well as helping the running game succeed. Sewell did not crack the Pro Bowl for his rookie work, but the fact he was stable on the field should be enough of a plus for the Lions moving forward. As a whole, Sewell started 16 total games for the Lions and was a mainstay up front for the team.
He makes a compelling case to be the MVP of the team this past year given now he kept things together when the line was rankled by injury.
Amani Oruwariye, Cornerback
There was few players more important to the Lions than Oruwariye. His career had gotten off to a decent start given he finished 2019 with 2 interceptions and 19 tackles for the Lions, but has been a player who has delivered before given his work in college. During the 2020 season on the field, he had 53 tackles, 1 interception and 7 passes defended, meaning he was easily able to eclipse his statistical work from last season. 2021 was Oruwaryie’s best season yet, with 6 interceptions and 57 tackles to go with 11 passes defended. All season long, Oruwariye looked the part for the Lions and was arguably the best candidate for MVP given the smooth plays he turned in on the field this season.
No doubting Oruwariye had a great season for the Lions and is pushing for more in the future.
2021-22 Heavy Detroit Lions’ MVP
Amani Oruwariye
Start to finish, there was nobody better than Oruwariye for the Lions. Not only was he elite in terms of intercepting the ball and making big plays for the defense, he elevated the play of his teammates around him. The Lions saw plenty of problems play out at cornerback with injuries, and until he was injured himself, Oruwariye was stable and changed the game multiple times for the Lions. Perhaps out of nowhere, Oruwariye surges forward and claims this award for the Lions this past season.
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2021 Lions MVP Candidates: Why a Young Defender Earned the Hardware