Getty D'Andre Swift celebrates his first career score.
The Detroit Lions are ready to kick off yet another season on the field, and as they get set to, the focus shifts to how the team is going to look when the games get going.
In that vein, there are plenty of players to watch who figure to play a starring role this season in Detroit. The team has a chance to see many players step up and make a big time push toward being known as elite in the future on the field.
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What players fit the bill in terms of breakout stars this year? Here’s a look at some of the top names to remember for the team.
Quintez Cephus, Wide Receiver
The Lions have some major questions at wide receiver, and who steps up to answer them is a major issue for th team. There’s a bunch of unproven players who have a chance to do big things at the position. The one most primed for success, though, might quietly be Cephus. He’s been in Detroit for a year, which practically qualifies him as a veteran on the team at the position. He also has overwhelming talent, and might have only needed an opportunity to show it to the masses. Cephus will get plenty of chances to show out, and the bet is he will be one of the players who rises to the occasion at the spot this season with big play.
T.J. Hockenson, Tight End
To say Hockenson will break out in 2021 might be doing a disservice to what he has already shown as a player considering he cracked a Pro Bowl last season. That being said, this season will be the one that Hockenson looks truly elite and turns himself into one of the top players at tight end week in and week out. That qualifies as a breakout for the Lions, who don’t typically have the cream of any crop positionally in the league. Hockenson is going to be a star, and this season will help prove why.
D’Andre Swift, Running Back
Swift had a nice rookie year, but it will be nothing like his next act in 2021, which will become stepping up and becoming one of the league’s top 15 runners for 2021. The Lions are going run-heavy this year which stands to benefit Swift, as does a rebuilt offensive line which will be able to impact the game in a bigger way. That adds up to a solid season for Swift, who will also be getting some elite coaching from the likes of Duce Staley and Anthony Lynn. All systems are go for Swift, and it’s going to be a big year as a result.
Amani Oruwariye, Cornerback
Thinking of players who have the potential to step up and star at cornerback, folks don’t often think of Oruwariye, but he has been name dropped by Dan Campbell as one of the two players who has enjoyed a great camp and preseason. It might take Jeff Okudah more time to adjust in his sophomore year, but Oruwariye figures to be a player who can make an immediate impact in terms of going to the next level right away. If Oruwariye becomes a star at cornerback in 2021, it should not be a surprise given his talent.
Romeo Okwara, Defensive End/OLB
The Lions stepped up and paid Okwara this offseason, which is a sign that the team likes what they can get from their edge rusher. Okwara has already been a nice looking 10 sack player for Detroit, but 2021 is the year that he shows himself constantly as a presence for a defense that needs a pass rush consistently. It’s going to be a big year for Okwara and he is going to break out and become a good statistical force within a new defense that will fit his talents well.
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