3 Under-the-Radar Lions That Could Shine in 2020
Expectations have been generally low for the Lions in recent years, as they have struggled time and time again to find much success -- only one playoff appearance since 2015 and two straight losing seasons under head coach Matt Patricia.
The usual suspects perform well year after year -- i.e. Matthew Stafford, Marvin Jones Jr. and Trey Flowers.
These guys are all expected to make contributions to the 2020 Lions roster.
But, there are a few players who could absolutely break out this season and shock us all.
Here are three such players:
DE Austin Bryant
Bryant was a selection in the fourth round of the 2019 draft, and has not accomplished much in his professional career so far.
Bryant appeared in only four games a season ago, and only provided eight total tackles. His season was hindered by the injury bug, which caused Bryant to fail to see game action until later in the year.
It may appear as if Bryant stumbled out of the gates in his NFL career, but if he can live up to his full potential, he could be an electric player at this level.
The 6-foot-4 defensive lineman played in 15 games for the Clemson Tigers in 2018, and reeled in 45 total tackles along with 8.5 sacks.
If he can stay healthy, Bryant could be a huge addition to the Lions' pass rush in 2020.
WR Marvin Hall
Hall has flown under the radar his entire NFL career, but his upside is through the roof.
On just seven receptions in 2019, Hall brought in 261 receiving yards along with one touchdown.
A dangerous deep threat for Stafford, Hall could find a nice spot as the Lions' fourth or fifth receiving target.
And with three Lions receivers in their final year of their contract, he's a potential long-term option.
At Hall’s pro day, he ran a 4.28 40-yard dash. His blazing speed could be a huge asset for this 2020 Lions offense.
With opposing defenses' eyes being largely on No. 1 wide receiver Kenny Golladay, Hall could have a breakout season.
RB Bo Scarbrough
All of the running back talk for the Lions in 2020 has surrounded around incumbent No. 1 back Kerryon Johnson and the recently drafted D’Andre Swift.
Subsequently, many people have forgotten about Bo Scarbrough
Scarbrough was a demon in the backfield for the Crimson Tide in his college days, and has all of the potential to bring that to Detroit in 2020.
While just playing in six games for the Lions in 2019, Scarbrough registered 89 carries for 377 yards and one touchdown. Not great numbers, by any means, but numbers to build off of nonetheless.
During his sophomore season in 2016, Scarbrough legged out over 800 rushing yards from scrimmage and 11 rushing touchdowns for an Alabama team that was regularly pulling its starters at halftime.
If Scarbrough can continue to improve, he’ll be fighting both Johnson and Swift for carries.
Final thoughts
All three of these players -- Bryant, Hall and Scarbrough -- have flown under the radar during their careers. However, they all have great upside and could shock the masses in 2020.
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