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A look at five Detroit Lions who could have breakout seasons in 2023
As we enter the month of July, we’re inching closer to the Lions start of practices and pre-season action. Before we know it, we’ll be knee-deep in the regular season as our football teams push for the playoffs. For now, I want to look at five players that could break out for the Lions during the 2023 season!
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McNeill added he has modified his diet and feels faster entering 2023
One of the key young pieces of the Detroit Lions defense, Alim McNeill often gets overlooked when analysts break down the Lions. The athletically freakish defensive tackle is fixing to remedy that for the upcoming season.
McNeill is in Detroit for the team’s voluntary workout sessions this week. A third-round pick back in 2021, McNeill blossomed after being moved off the nose tackle spot and into more of an attacking 3-technique during last season.
During his media session on Tuesday, McNeill was asked about his offseason focus on what he can improve in his game in 2023.
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“For me it was consistency,” McNeill said pensively. “Being able to do it every snap, every game.”
The third-year DT elaborated a little more.
“I had a couple of games where I liked a couple of things I did, or the coaches might have liked it. But I just want to be more consistent. Like, I want to make those plays almost every play. I’m seeing some guys around the league who do that — just watching them, I’m like, ‘I can do the same thing’. That’s what it was for me. Consistency.”
How is McNeill aiming to achieve that goal?
“I just took a more professional approach.”
He talked about changes to his diet and his stretching workouts, among other things that McNeill hopes pay off with his best NFL season yet.
“I want to do it down in and down out.”
McNeill noted he feels “a lot more lean. I feel faster.”
Miller cited Dan Campbell and the strength of the Lions locker room
There’s plenty of uncertainty on what’s going to happen with Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter. On most consensus boards, he’s one of the three best players in the 2023 NFL Draft. But once you add in the off-the-field issues with Carter, he instantly starts to fall down those boards.
Weeks after his poor performance at the Georgia pro day, there’s been team reports that Carter is already off the board. So far, those two confirmed teams are the Las Vegas Raiders and the Atlanta Falcons. We’ll find out on the opening night of the 2023 NFL Draft if the Raiders and Falcons stay true to their word.
One team worth keeping tabs on in regards to Carter is the Detroit Lions. Earlier this week, head coach Dan Campbell spoke to the media and he mentioned how the Lions spoke to a former teammate. Campbell said, “…he told us some things we didn’t know. That nobody probably would’ve known. It was like, ‘Oh, that’s interesting.”
Campbell wouldn’t elaborate if those things were good or bad but needless to say, it’s an interesting comment. In addition to those comments, it’s been confirmed that Carter will take a pre-draft visit to Detroit. But it hasn’t been just interesting comments from the Lions head coach on Carter. ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller also made some interesting comments.
One of the easiest evaluations you'll have for the 2023 NFL Draft is Georgia IDL Jalen Carter. He's one of the best players in the draft, if not, the best player in the draft.
Dominant due to his length, power, athleticism and versatility, he can be an impact player from day… pic.twitter.com/oGJSeLscpP
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) February 27, 2023
During a conference call on Friday, Miller said, “we talked about Jalen Carter earlier, where does he fit? I think [Detroit] is the best fit for Carter, outside of Philly. This is a great fit because you have Dan Campbell. He’s going to make sure that you’re working.”
In addition to those comments, Miller also said, “talking to people at Georgia, one thing I heard consistently was that Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean were those players for Carter. They led the locker room and everyone followed, everyone got in lockstep.” These comments were made after mentioning about Carter needs to be “in a locker room that is structured and has good leaders.”
There’s a possibility that Carter could end up being the 10th overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact, the Eagles could even consider moving up for Carter to ensure that they get him. Pairing him back up with Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis might do the next stage of Carter’s career wonders.
Report: Georgia DT Jalen Carter no longer on the Raiders draft board https://t.co/o5k72DFDaa via @thedraftwire
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) March 30, 2023
At the same time, the Lions could strongly consider Jalen Carter with the 6th overall pick. Over the years, they’ve had the NFL Draft’s best players falling into their laps. In 2021, it was Penei Sewell and in 2022 it was Aidan Hutchinson. Could it happen again this year? It’s all possible. But the main question is if Carter actually fits the Lions?
The player on the field, absolutely does. He displays a consistent motor, versatility and just raw power. His hands are active and he’s able to win with a pass-rush plan that is active but benefits from his speed and power. Carter would compliment the Lions defensive line that is led by Aidan Hutchinson. But pairing him up with Hutch, Cominsky, Paschal, McNeill and the rest of the group could truly benefit the transition to the NFL for Carter. Time will tell, especially with the off-the-field concerns, but taking one of the most talented players in this years draft seems more than possible.
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Several of the Detroit Lions young core earned sizable performance-based bonuses, and the trend should continue heading into the future
The Detroit Lions saw major contributions from their late-round rookies and cost-effective free agents last year, and they are being compensated through their high efforts. Through the “performance-based pool” from the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, a $10.5 million pool is rewarded to players on low-cost contracts, and several Lions earned a piece of the bonus pool.
In all, 76 players from the Lions earned a bonus, with Kerby Joseph leading the group with a $523,538 bonus, almost topping his base salary of $705,000 from last year. Here is a list of the top ten amounts among the Lions players.
| Kerby Joseph | 1,408 snaps | $523,538 |
| Brock Wright | 762 | $451,678 |
| Jonah Jackson | 918 | $441,996 |
| Isaiah Buggs | 758 | $434,816 |
| Amon-Ra St. Brown | 835 | $421,923 |
| Malcolm Rodriguez | 685 | $389,914 |
| Alim McNeill | 784 | $366,610 |
| Jerry Jacobs | 619 | $366,440 |
| DeShon Elliott | 889 | $355,978 |
| John Cominsky | 610 | $327,154 |
Even though none of the Lions landed in the Top 25 of players who received from the performance-bonus pool, it is indicative of the contributions the Lions received from their late-round draftees and their low-end free agents. The Lions will lean on several of these players as core contributors this upcoming season.
On offense, Jackson is the unsung hero on the offensive line and has been one of the more reliable players for the Lions. Wright became a solid red-zone target for Jared Goff while providing key run and pass blocking. In addition, St. Brown is earning a reputation as one of the best receivers in the league.
On defense, with their rookie year under their belt, Joseph and Rodriguez will look to take the next step forward and elevate their game in their respective positions. Buggs and Cominsky earned new contracts from Detroit after their rebound seasons. McNeill is a force to be reckoned with in the middle of the defensive line. Jacobs has turned from a UDFA to one of the better cornerbacks for the Lions. Eliott earned a new contract with the Miami Dolphins, but he was a nice addition, especially after Tracy Walker went down.
I would look to see this trend continue as General Manager Brad Holmes looks to have an eye for talent, either in the draft or free agency. He has made quite a few moves in this free agency that have been well received and looks to be plugging holes where they needed to be plugged. With two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, the possibilities are endless on what the Lions can do.
McNeill has been quiet on the stat sheet until a dominant performance in Week 11
Alim McNeill is a large man. He’s got a large personality to go with it. About the only thing the big Lions nose tackle didn’t have in his first two NFL seasons was a signature game, a matchup where fans could see why the team and media were so excited about McNeill.
After Sunday, McNeill has that chip in the stack too.
McNeill dominated the New York Giants in Sunday’s 31-18 Lions victory in Week 11. By the official NFL statistical book, the second-year man from North Carolina State had four tackles, one sack, three QB hits and three tackles for loss. The TFLs and QB hits surpassed McNeill’s season-to-date totals through the first nine weeks.
The advanced stats brighten the illustration of McNeill’s dominant day in New Jersey. While subjectively tabulated, the stats from Pro Football Focus do pass the eye test from the game,
#Lions DT Alim McNeill has entered the conversation.
McNeill generated 10 pressures in Week 11 against the Giants.
New leader in single-game pressures by a defender over 320 pounds in the @PFF era (since 2006). https://t.co/Fr4B8w7cLV
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) November 21, 2022
As always, context is important. The Giants played almost half the game with backups at center and right guard, where they were already down to a practice squad call-up (Shane Lemieux) thanks to injuries. However, McNeill’s dominant performance is what the Lions expect in situations like that. McNeill, the team’s third-round pick in 2021, delivered the goods against New York.
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Here are this week’s Studs and Duds for Detroit Lions beating the New York Giants 31-18, bringing their winning streak to three.
Oh, the tables have turned for the Detroit Lions! After their 31-18 victory over the New York Giants, the Lions now have a three-game winning streak and are creeping into the playoff picture.
The defense looks completely different than what they were showing earlier in the season, coming up big in critical moments while creating turnovers in the process. The young core continues to build upon their incredible season, giving the Lions much hope heading into the future. Even though the offense may not look sexy, they continue to make the necessary plays to put the Lions ahead. If the Lions continue playing complementary football, they could be heading for greener pastures.
Even though some of the players may not have had the game they wanted, the Lions were able to overcome with solid contributions from key players to put them ahead of the Giants this week.
Here are some quick takeaways from watching the Detroit Lions beat the New York Giants in real-time.
It’s another victory Sunday for the Detroit Lions. The team went into New York and thoroughly beat the favored Giants, 31-18, for the Lions’ third win in a row.
This was one of the best team efforts of the Dan Campbell coaching era. All three units–offense, defense and special teams–proved superior to their New York counterparts. Campbell’s staff won the coaching chess match, too. With the win, the Lions improve to 4-6 while the Giants drop to 7-3.
Here are some quick takeaways from watching the Lions beat the Giants in real-time.
4 Lions who must have good days for Detroit to beat the Green Bay Packers
The 1-6 Detroit Lions attempt to climb out of the NFC North basement when they host the 3-5 Green Bay Packers in Week 9. A win over Green Bay would be a huge lift to a Lions team in desperate need of some positive energy and results.
It’s not out of the question for Dan Campbell’s Lions to pull off the win. Green Bay has lost four games in a row. The Packers rank near the bottom of the league in scoring and also sport one of the worst run defenses.
If the Lions are to pull off the upset in Ford Field, it will require a strong team performance. These four Lions in particular need to have strong games in order for Detroit to extend the win streak against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to two games.
Here are the Detroit Lions best and worst PFF performers for this Week 3 game against the Minnesota Vikings.
It is never easy losing against your division opponent, but what happened for the Detroit Lions at the end makes it hurt that much more, losing their second game against the Minnesota Vikings, 28-24.
The Lions looked to be in control, but after some heavily questionable playcalling, ill-timed injuries, and miscommunication, they felt that win slip through their fingers. It has been documented enough that Coach Dan Campbell wishes he would’ve made a different call at the end, so we don’t need to beat a dead horse while it’s down. The Lions will look to redeem themselves next week against the Seattle Seahawks in hopes they can rebound from this devastation.
Most of this week’s PFF grades fall right in line with the eye test, good and bad. So we will go ahead and highlight the best and the worst PFF performers for the Lions for Week 3 against the Vikings.
If the Lions want to break into the win column in Week 2, these six specific players will need to perform better than they did in Week 1
When the Washington Commanders visit Ford Field on Sunday, the Detroit Lions carry an expectation of victory. It’s the first time in 24 games where the Lions have been favored to win, after all. But the 1-0 Commanders are no pushover.
If the Lions want to break into the win column in Week 2, these six specific players will need to perform better than they did collectively in Week 1 in the 38-35 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Watch: Detroit Lions Podcast recaps Week 1 and previews the Commanders
