The Detroit Lions 2022 rookie class is a little over a month into their first NFL season and have enough game tape available now for coaches to really start to evaluate their performance during the bye week.
Detroit is one of the youngest teams in the NFL and injuries and inconsistent performances from veterans have pushed some youngsters into early action. While there’s going to be some growing pains that comes with playing young guys, it’s hopefully going to help the Lions down the road with some of these players getting quality experience early in their careers.
Let’s take a look at how Detroit’s rookies have performed through the first five games of the season:
DRAFT PICKS:
Defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson
It’s been a little bit of an inconsistent start for the No. 2 overall pick. Hutchinson had a great half against Washington Week 2, when he recorded 3.0 sacks, six tackles, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. That 30 minutes of football really showed the kind of production he’s capable of.
But outside of that one half against the Commanders, Hutchinson hasn’t recorded a sack and has just eight tackles, no tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. Rookie pass rushers don’t typically come in and light the league on fire right away, but the Lions do need a little more consistent production from Hutchinson the remaining 12 games of the season if this defense is going to take strides forward.
