Pro Football Focus has not hidden its admiration for the Detroit Lions draft class of 2020. Now PFF has once again predicted very good things for Jeff Okudah, D’Andre Swift, Jonah Jackson and rest of Bob Quinn’s 2020 NFL Draft haul.
In its “10 bold predictions for NFL rookies” article, the tenth and final one is a love note to the Lions. PFF predicts the Detroit rookie class to produce the highest Wins Above Replacement value, or WAR, of any team’s freshman class. The WAR prediction excludes quarterbacks, who have an inordinate impact upon the figure.
This is another one that’s not too bold, as the Lions had a top-three pick and a ton of draft capital. Still, they turned it into a few impact players. They grabbed the fourth, 28th, 40th and 74th overall players on the PFF Big Board with their first four picks, and all look slated to start early on. If the Lions really are going to turn it around and take the NFC North in 2020, it’s going to come on the back of a strong rookie class.
It’s another optimistic look from PFF at a brightening future in Detroit.