With improved depth across the board, the roster decisions the Detroit Lions will have to make this season will be significant and very difficult.
One of the toughest spots to project at this point remains the defensive line. Detroit has invested time into rebuilding the group ahead of the 2022 season, and as a result, some folks will be feeling the squeeze once the time to slice down the roster comes later this summer.
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One of the players that could be feeling the most heat is defensive lineman Austin Bryant. So far, Bryant has been doing a bit of everything in an attempt to stick, but his future could be significantly up in the air.
2. Austin Bryant could be an odd man out up front. He also might stick as a versatile pass rusher — they’ve had him taking reps on the edge and as far inside as a 1-/2-tech. His length and ability to cover ground are still pretty intriguing traits. He’s been active up front.
“Austin Bryant could be an odd man out up front. He also might stick as a versatile pass rusher — they’ve had him taking reps on the edge and as far inside as a 1-/2-tech. His length and ability to cover ground are still pretty intriguing traits. He’s been active up front,” Burke tweeted after watching practice.
Interestingly enough, Bryant had a career year in 2021, managing to collect 5.5 sacks and put up tackles. That showed glimpses of what he could be, but with multiple additions to the front, the odds may not be in his favor at this point. The abrupt retirement of John Penisini could help, but Bryant needs to continue to prove his worth and earn a role.
It seems his will be one of the biggest roster cases to remember this offseason.
Writer Also Called Bryant Potential ‘Odd Man Out’ for 2022
Clearly, this reality with Bryant has been speculated for a while. The team has some solid players on defense, and a formally barren defensive line will put four new pieces on the field from the first three rounds of the last two drafts combined. That puts pressure on young veterans currently on the roster to produce and keep impressing the coaching staff.
One such player in that situation is linebacker and edge rusher Austin Bryant. While Bryant had a breakout season in 2021 by his own standards, the rusher could still find himself under pressure this coming season to produce given all the new talent coming into the mix. That’s just what Bleacher Report sees ahead of a new season.
As writer Ian Wharton explained a few months back, Detroit’s depth may hurt Bryant, as will his sparse production earlier in his career due to injuries.
Wharton took a look at predicting all of the best players who could be cut in the NFL. For the Lions, Bryant was the player that was mentioned as potentially on the chopping block due to depth as well as new players coming into the mix.
“The likely odd man out due to the numbers game in Detroit, the 25-year-old should draw interest from defenses needing a power rusher in his prime,” Wharton wrote specifically.
Bryant could latch on elsewhere if cut, but he could also re-earn a role in Detroit if he can stay healthy and show consistency. It seems the team could be ready to offer him a shot to stick based on early rumblings from the OTA sessions.
Bryant’s Career Stats & Highlights
Picked up in the fourth-round of the 2019 draft, the pass rusher out of Clemson got hyped as a possible hidden-gem thanks to his production in college, but an injury helped his slip in the draft, and once he got to Detroit, he was quickly injured again with a nearly identical pectoral ailment to the one he sustained in school. The first few years, he never saw the field and couldn’t show the Lions or their fans some of the immense talent which led to him putting up some solid college stats. With the Tigers, Bryant was active with 130 tackles, 21 sacks, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and 37 tackles for-loss.
In spite of that, Bryant put up just 25 total tackles in his time in the NFL coming into this season which is a lower total of production than many would have predicted. In 2021, he managed to top that with 31 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Health played a role in his resurgence, something which the tape showed a chance of happening:
Bryant is finally healthy and being able to show signs of his old self. Will depth hurt him this coming year, or will he be able to lock down a role for 2022 in Detroit? Right now, it doesn’t seem there are many firm answers to those questions, meaning it will be important to keep tabs on this the rest of the offseason.
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