Getty Malcolm Rodriguez celebrates with Alex Anzalone.
The Detroit Lions have a bleak present in 2022 as evidence of their woeful record, but there’s still been some reasons to be excited beyond the frustration.
An electric offense has spent most of the season near the top of the league in terms of most metrics, and while Detroit’s defense has been next to terrible, they still have plenty of building blocks themselves.
The even better realization? The team not only has difference makers, but players poised to be stars in the future as well. Pro Football Focus proved that when they put together their midseason All-Rookie team for 2022.
Writer Michael Renner was charged with putting together the list, and the Lions landed three players on it in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and safety Kerby Joseph. That made up a huge percentage of the defense.
In terms of Hutchinson, Renner admitted that things have been up and down for the player, but he has shown the kind of ability to press the pocket this season.
“Hutchinson has been the highest-graded rookie starter on the defensive line so far, but that isn’t much to write home about in this class. He’s leading all rookies in sacks (5) and pressures (24), but his flashes have been few and far between. Through nine weeks, his 66.9 overall grade ranks 53rd among 129 qualifying players at the position,” he said.
Going from Hutchinson to Rodriguez, Renner likes the fact that the rookie has been tough enough to stand up to the demands of the league even as a smaller rookie on the field.
“Starting as a sixth-rounder from Day 1 was already impressive enough. While Rodriguez has gotten picked on at times and will have to overcome a lot at his size to be a high-end starter, he’s still managed 17 stops and a 61.6 overall grade,” he wrote.
Finally, in the case of Joseph, he sees some star potential in the player who is stepping up and showing out in the backfield.
“We’re only five games into Joseph’s career, and his playmaking ability is already on full display. He’s allowed only six catches from 13 targets for 67 yards and has recorded two picks and two pass breakups. That’s led to an 89.7 coverage grade and an above-average grade in every game,” Renner said.
To land three players on such a list points to the fact that the team is developing some serious talent for their future. Brad Holmes has clearly drafted pretty well overall, and will have a chance to do even more damage with four picks within the first two rounds of the draft in 2023.
So far so good for the Lions as it relates to developing elite players for their future.
Lions’ 2022 Rookies Offer Hope for Future
With this in mind, it’s safe to say that the Lions are in great shape for their future, especially on defense.
Led by Hutchinson in the trenches, the Lions have seen their rookie class set the tone on the defensive side of the ball. Hutchinson has been phenomenal already, and has been joined by Josh Paschal in terms of consistency up front. Paschal hasn’t played much to start the year, but made a big splash when he did.
At linebacker, Rodriguez has stepped up to look like one of the most important rookies on the team for the future. His toughness and leadership has been downright impressive. In the second level, safety Kerby Joseph has come on strong to look like a star in the making for many reasons. Even though he hasn’t played much, cornerback Chase Lucas could prove a gritty depth piece.
As a whole, this is great news for the Lions. They’ve needed some talent on the defensive side that is young, and these guys will combine with names such as Alim McNeill, Jeff Okudah, Derrick Barnes and others to make the team formidable into the future.
Detroit’s 2021 Rookie Class Impressive as Well
While all the shine is currently on the rookie class for Detroit’s, it’s fair to point out that the second-year players are coming along nicely for the team as well.
Penei Sewell has become a star in the trenches for the Lions up front, while defensive tackle Alim McNeill has locked things down in the center of Detroit’s defensive line. Wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown continues to help pace the offense, while linebacker Derrick Barnes stepped up for his best game in the league thus far.
Both of these classes figure to play off each other and become the future for the Lions. In the case of the 2021 and 2022 class, it’s truthfully looking like this could be a bedrock foundation for Detroit moving forward.