The first half of this Lions season has been a resounding success, but no team is perfect, and you can bet that Detroit will try to tighten its rotation down the stretch.
That means some Lions players will have to step up their play to keep their roles. But who’s at risk of losing playing time, or worse, get let go after this season?
Let’s dig into the details.
There are tons of players who have already made a big impact and have cemented their status on this team.
But others are hanging on the precipice of playing time and are running out of time to prove they belong.
We’ll start with the highest-impact players and work our way down from there.
David Montgomery, RB
You might be surprised to see this name here, considering how effective Montgomery has been so far this season.
But he’s already missed three games due to injury and rookie first-round pick Jahmyr Gibbs has been excellent in his place – totaling 315 yards and two touchdowns over his past two games alone.
Detroit head coach Dan Campbell even commented on the situation, saying that Gibbs will now get his ‘fair share’ of touches moving forward after the rookie’s Week 9 breakout in the win over Las Vegas.
That spells trouble for Montgomery’s use as a workhorse back, especially with him coming off a rib injury.
Malcolm Rodriguez, LB
A Hard Knocks fan-favorite last season, Rodriguez lived up to the hype in 2022 with 87 total tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups.
Now? Rodriguez has been an after-thought this season, recording just seven total tackles and a forced fumble while playing almost exclusively on special teams since Week 4 — even being used as a fullback at times.
You may think Rodriguez’s age will play in his favor here, but it’s never good to see a second-year player lose THAT much playing time, especially after the team traded a linebacker in the first round. But it would seem like he still has plenty of potential.
Malcolm Rodriguez is the 6th highest graded LB by PFF this preseason.
Last year, he led all rookies with 12 tackles for loss or no gain.
Where do you see him fitting in on defense this year?
There may not be much Rodriguez can do to further his stock this season, but he’s definitely in need of a big game.
Romeo Okwara, DE
Okwara, 28, was a breakthrough sensation in 2018, recording 35 tackles and 7.5 sacks in his first season in Detroit.
However, he hasn’t played more than 17% of the snaps on defense since Week 4 and he has made just four total tackles this season!
When you consider that Aidan Hutchinson, and Okwara’s younger brother, Julian Okwara, are both more effective AND younger, it’s hard to see how Romeo works his way back into the picture.
But the Lions certainly need help with their pass rush, so it may not be curtains for him just yet.
Harris has been a valuable depth piece this season, especially after C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Emmanuel Moseley were lost for the season due to injury.
He played the majority of defensive snaps from Week 5-7 and has been solid with 12 tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and two pass breakups, but he played in ZERO percent of defensive snaps last week (60% of special teams snaps).
cThe Lions are going to make every assessment necessary as they chase their first NFC North crown, and you can back them.