We're still very early into the offseason process, but questions are ready to get answered starting this week when OTA's start up for the Detroit Lions. We'll be able to see just how much some players factor into bigger roles for the team and get a glimpse at who could have breakout season in 2024. Here's four players that we think fit the bill:
Antoine Green
The Lions never went out and got a receiver despite needing one even before the team lost Josh Reynolds to the Broncos. Donovan Peoples-Jones is expected to play a much larger role with the Lions but Green could be as well.
The Lions took Green in the seventh round of last years draft and kept him stashed away on the 53-man roster all season long with very little playing time. Now that there's room for him to grow, could we see a secret weapon the Lions have been hiding all this time?
In theory he has everything you want to be an X receiver. He's got the size, speed and ability to make contested catches. Will they throw him in the deep end? If they do, we believe he'll swim.
Marcus Davenport
He's sort of already had a breakout season when he had nine sacks for the Saints in 2021. The problem for Davenport has never been whether or not he's a good player. He has been. The problem is that he can't stay healthy.
The prediction here is that he does and he has a big season. The Lions didn't really attack the position in the offseason and that points to Davenport being a much bigger part of this line than initially thought. If he stays on the field, it could be a big year for him.
Brodric Martin
You hope that we're right about this one. It's been hard to not notice that Martin has showed up to offseason workouts in tremendous shape.
Brodric Martin looking like he cut some lbs and gained a ton of muscle 👀 pic.twitter.com/6T278AxUtg
— Hutchinson’s Bulge (@aj2406_) May 17, 2024
That's what you're looking for in a a guy that's ready to get some more work. Just like Alim McNeil, he's gone out and dropped some weight and put on muscle to help make himself more efficient.
With DJ Reader is town now and the eagerness that he's already shown to get to to work with Martin, there's a good shot that Martin is ready to go this season and we'll see a lot more of him. He could begin to show that he's the future of the interior once Reader is gone.
