Ranking 5 Lions Who Must Have a Comeback Season in 2020
The Detroit Lions roster has a multitude of players who are strongly in need of a comeback season in 2020.
On paper, the roster has more depth and should be able to improve upon last season's disappointing 3-12-1 record.
If Detroit is to take the next forward this season, these five players must have a comeback season.
Here is the ranking of the five players in 2020 who must produce at a higher level than in 2019.
5.) TE Jesse James
The former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end only secured 16 passes for 142 yards in 2019 -- the third-most yards among Lions tight ends.
Even quarterback-turned-tight end Logan Thomas outpaced James in number of snaps after rookie T.J. Hockenson went down with a season-ending ankle injury.
In the blocking department -- which was supposedly a strength of James -- he graded out as only the 46th best run-blocking tight end in the league, per Pro Football Focus.
To make matters worse, his pass-blocking was 72nd out of 79 qualified tight ends.
If he doesn't bounce back in 2020, this signing becomes a colossal failure for Quinn.
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4.) LT Taylor Decker
Decker is arguably one of the top-15 left tackles in the league.
He finished 2019 with a 75.5 Pro Football Focus grade -- the 18th-best mark out of 88 qualified tackles. And in the final 10 weeks of the season, he was the sixth-best offensive tackle, according to PFF.
Decker has had his ups and downs, but has been slightly above average over the course of his career.
If he remains healthy in 2020, Decker should be able to take a step forward in a contract season.
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3.) CB Justin Coleman
Coleman had a solid first year for the Lions but did not live up to his expensive contract.
In 2019, Coleman played in all 16 games and recorded 54 total tackles, three forced fumbles, and one interception.
He was required to play out of position at times as a result of ex-Lions corner Darius Slay missing time due to injury.
With the departure of Slay this offseason, the pressure falls even more on Coleman to perform at a high level in 2020.
2.) LB Jarrad Davis
Davis hasn't performed to the level Detroit hoped for when they made him the 21st selection in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
In 2019, Davis ranked 94th out of 99 linebackers, as graded by Pro Football Focus. In his three-year NFL career, Davis has never earned a PFF grade over 53.
Davis recorded 63 tackles in 11 games played last season. Through his first three seasons, he has secured 10 career sacks and 259 tackles.
This past offseason, Detroit came to an agreement with veteran Reggie Ragland, further pointing to signs the team is ready to move forward without Davis
1.) RB Kerryon Johnson
Last season, Johnson dealt with a knee injury that sidelined him for eight games.
And in his rookie campaign in 2018, he failed to play in a full season's worth of games -- suited up for 10 games -- due to another knee malady.
Unfortunately for Detroit, the 22-year-old failed to build upon the success in his second season in the league. He produced just 3.6 yards per carry, and was far from a reliable option in the Lions' backfield on a game-to-game basis.
With the addition of rookie D'Andre Swift, Detroit is counting on Johnson to form a tandem with Swift that will put defenses on notice.
© Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press, Detroit Free Press via Imagn Content Services, LLC
