The Detroit Lions seemed headed to the Super Bowl at halftime of last year’s NFC Championship Game. There’s no need to fully rehash how the second half went, but there’s definitely “unfinished business” heading into the 2024 season and head coach Dan Campbell will make sure there is no let-down,
Along the same lines as underrated players who could make a massive impact next season, the Lions won’t have success solely on the backs of their best players. There will be, and there will have to be, players who step up and outperform expectations. It could be stepping up in one key moment in one game, maybe producing over several games when someone else is out injured, or it could wind up being the entire season of notable contribution.
With that, these three Lions could be nice surprises during the 2024 season.
3. DL Josh Paschal
Injuries have greatly impacted Paschal’s first two NFL seasons.
First it was a lingering sports hernia from his final college season and subsequent surgery that delayed the start to his rookie season, and he missed two games later that season with a knee issue. He missed five games early in the season last year with a knee injury, and was never overly impactful getting after the passer (one sack, 13 pressures).
Overall, the 2022 second-round pick has played 22 games and less than 700 defensive snaps (693) in his career. He is quickly stretching into bust territory, and it’s not a stretch to say 2024 is a make-or-break year for him.
Pending further moves that do seem pretty likely, the Lions have only added Marcus Davenport to their edge rusher mix so far this offseason. But there is surely some inherent hope in the organization that Paschal can step into a larger role, stay healthy and make more of an impact then he has thus far.
If that opportunity indeed ends up in front of him, as a versatile piece for the Lions’ defensive line under the tutelage of new defensive line coach Terrell Williams, Year 3 could be when it comes together for Paschal.
2. CB Emmanuel Moseley
Moseley was part of the revamp of the Lions’ secondary last offseason, albeit as a bit of flier coming off a torn ACL with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. He had some setbacks in his recovery, with a subsequent “clean up” procedure and an additional hamstring injury, before finally making his Lions’ debut in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers.
Moseley lasted two snaps in that game, before tearing his other (right) ACL. The Lions gave him a mulligan this offseason, re-signing him before free agency started. He is in line to compete with new addition Amik Robertson for the starting outside corner spot opposite Carlton Davis. But with the release of Cameron Sutton, pending the possible addition of another veteran or an early draft pick, Moseley may still be relied on heavily if he is healthy.
In 2022 with the 49ers, before his first ACL injury of course (five games), Moseley posted a top-30 Pro Football Focus coverage grade (73.5) with five pass breakups and a 66.9 passer rating allowed. The previous season, over 11 games, he posted another solid coverage grade (69.7, the same as Davis that year, for what it’s worth) with 11 pass breakups, a 65.6 passer rating allowed and a 56.4 percent completion rate allowed.
Of course health is the biggest question with Moseley, coming off a torn ACL in eack knee in back-to-back seasons. That automatically keeps realistic expectations low, or practically non-existent, but if he can stay on the field Moseley can be very helpful in turning the Lions’ pass defense into a strength
1. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
When the news came they had re-signed him, the report from Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report noted how the Lions prioritized keeping Peoples-Jones and believe he is a “rising player.”
It’s always a challenge for a mid-season acquisition to make a big impact, so those cards were stacked against Peoples-Jones from the moment the Lions acquired him from the Cleveland Browns as last season’s trade deadline. In the midst of a run to the division title and more, there just wasn’t room to give him a lot runway (i.e. playing time) to learn a new offense and get fully integrated with new teammates.
At the league meetings last week, Campbell talked about the obvious benefit Peoples-Jones will get from having a full offseason, and how he may bring something a little different to the table than anyone else the Lions have.
“He’ll have a better understanding of what we’re doing (when) we go into camp,” Campbell said. “And so I think what it does it just gives us somebody that we know can play the position. He’s a bigger-body guy, too, so he’s a little different than anybody we’ve got.”
Peoples-Jones showed promise as a big play threat over the first two seasons of his career with the Browns, averaging 21.7 and 17.6 yards per catch respectively. Then he had a proverbial third-year breakout in 2022, setting clear career-highs in catches (61) and receiving yards (839). Before he was traded by the Browns last season, he played a lot but lacked production (eight receptions in seven games).
With Josh Reynolds gone, Peoples-Jones is currently the man lined up to step in as the Lions’ No. 3 wide receiver. A veteran addition and/or an early draft pick would change that equation, of course, but the opportunity is front of him until something does change.
If a big role is lined up for him come Week 1, Peoples-Jones won’t have to catch 60 passes to be impactful. As a bigger-bodied receiver who is a downfield threat and seems to have untapped potential as a red zone weapon, a potentially surprising contributor for the Lions lurks here.
