Allen Park — Any good rebuild involves steady playing time and on-field development of a roster’s young players. That’s a box the Detroit Lions can certainly check, while trudging to an 0-8-1 start in the first year of the tenures for general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell.
Through nine games, Detroit’s rookies have played 2,370 offensive and defensive snaps, and another 354 on special teams. That first figure ranks third in the NFL behind the New York Jets — who are similarly in the midst of a rebuild — and the Pittsburgh Steelers, buoyed by two rookie offensive linemen who have combined for more than half of their first-year player snaps.
With a little more than half the season in the rear-view, it seemed like a good time to check in on Detroit’s rookies to get a sense of the foundation being laid by the new regime.
Offensive tackle Penei Sewell
The prize of Holmes’ first draft class, Sewell was selected to play right tackle, but shifted to the blindside ahead of the season opener after Taylor Decker suffered a broken finger. Sewell started the first eight games on the left and took his lumps early, including a two-game stretch where he allowed four sacks, two of which resulted in a fumble.
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The 21-year-old tackle seemingly turned a corner in Week 6. That doesn’t mean more bumps in the road aren’t coming, but it’s OK to be impressed by a four-game run of allowing two or fewer pressures, while showcasing his power in the ground game and rare athleticism in space when asked to get in ahead of a screen pass.
Sewell shifted back to right tackle last Sunday against Pittsburgh and quickly quelled concerns about the move by handling business against T.J. Watt, one of the league’s premier edge-rushing talents.
Defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike
Like Sewell, Onwuzurike entered his first training camp with some extra rust after opting out of his final collegiate season. Unlike Sewell, Onwuzurike didn’t get nearly the opportunity to knock it off during the preseason, missing a couple weeks with a back injury before being slowed by a hip issue that carried into the start of regular season.
He made his debut in Week 2, playing 10 snaps, and has slowly seen the workload tick upward as the year’s progressed. He’s averaged 25.6 defensive reps the past three games.
Unfortunately, the production still isn’t there. He’s managed to rack up 17 tackles (one every nine snaps), while missing just one. But the second-round pick hasn’t lived up to his billing as a backfield disruptor. He’s still looking for his first tackle behind the line of scrimmage, and even worse, he’s credited with just one quarterback pressure in 74 pass-rushing snaps.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill
From the first day of training camp, McNeill worked with the first-team defense and didn’t look out of place. The 6-foot-2, 330-pounder flashed impressive athleticism, earning him nicknames such as “The Dancing Bear” and “Twinkle Toes” from the coaching staff.
McNeill was a wrecking ball at times during those camp practices, but things haven’t been as easy during the regular season. As he’s matched up against veteran offensive lineman, the need for continued refinement in his technique has shown up in his inability to consistently anchor against the run or penetrate the backfield against the pass.
Pro Football Focus tracks stops, defined as a tackle who constitutes a failure for the offense. McNeill has had just one since Week 4 after recording seven the first four games.
Still, the fact that he’s playing close to a league-average level at his position as a third-round rookie should be viewed as a positive. Assuming he experiences the typical second-year jump many young players do, particularly after averaging more than 20 snaps per game as a rookie, he has the potential to be an interior anchor for the Lions for years to come.
Cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu
The Lions were stunned to find Melifonwu still on the board when they selected him with a compensatory pick near the end of the third round. A ball of athletic potential wrapped in a 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, they saw a future starter on the outside.
An opportunity to prove that showed up earlier than anticipated after a personal issue led to veteran Quinton Dunbar’s release in training camp and starter Jeff Okudah suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the season-opener.
Melifonwu got the call to start Week 2, against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in prime time. It was a hit-and-miss evening for the rookie, which saw him break up a pass with his helmet because he was playing such tight coverage, before surrendering a 50-yard reception in the second half.
Worse than getting beat, he suffered a significant leg injury at the end of that play, which has kept him on the shelf ever since. He did recently returned to practice, suggesting his return is impending. Getting some late-season reps could help get his development back on track heading into his second year.
Wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown
Similar to Sewell and McNeill, the Lions have given St. Brown an opportunity to play a significant role from the beginning of the season. Serving as Detroit’s primary slot receiver, he’s been on the field nearly two-thirds of the offensive snaps.
Overall, he’s exceeding expectations, leading the receiving corps with 31 catches, while his 310 yards trail only Kalif Raymond. St. Brown has shown the ability to make tough grabs across the middle and do damage after the catch, with more than half of his production coming after the ball is in his hands.
His willingness and physicality as a blocker is considered an asset within Detroit’s scheme, although there are certainty improvements to be made with the consistency of his execution.
Detroit has committed to getting St. Brown more reps as an outside receiver down the stretch. If he shows the ability to be similarly productive in those alignments, it will give the team some roster-building flexibility as Holmes addresses the position this offseason.
Linebacker Derrick Barnes
The Lions entered the season comfortable with the idea of leaning on veterans Alex Anzalone and Jamie Collins at linebacker, but the latter quickly found himself on the outs due to concerns about his effort. That opened the door for Barnes to see the field in a timeshare with special teams standout Jalen Reeves-Maybin, starting in Week 3.
Barnes’ playing time has bounced between 17-48% the past seven games, depending on matchups. It’s easy to forget, particularly after the flashes he showed in coverage during the preseason, how little Barnes played off the ball in college. His role in Detroit’s defense isn’t entirely new, but he didn’t have a wealth of experience coming into this year.
Coverage is where he’s struggled the most as he’s been eased into his role this year, and his pursuit angles and tackling in run support are still in need of continued refinement. But as we noted with McNeill, Barnes is ahead of the curve given his draft status and immediate expectations. The fact that he’s seeing the field so consistently as a rookie should only accelerate his development.
Running back Jermar Jefferson
With a top-heavy backfield depth chart headed by D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams, and Godwin Igwebuike holding down the fort as a versatile special teams contributor, the Lions had little choice but to make Jefferson a healthy scratch six of the first seven games.
The seventh-round selection finally got an opportunity to see work in the backfield when a thigh injury sidelined Williams the past two games, and Jefferson flashed the playmaking ability that had Detroit’s decision-makers juiced to snag him near the end of the draft.
In his offensive debut, Jefferson weaved through the heart of the defense for an 8-yard touchdown run, while showing improved route running skills since training camp, catching four passes for 23 yards. And against Pittsburgh last Sunday, he showed the big-play potential he regularly displayed at Oregon State, bursting through a hole on the left side for a 28-yard touchdown run.
Unfortunately, he got rolled up while crossing the goal line, suffering knee and ankle injuries. With Williams on the verge of returning to the lineup, and Igwebuike also having some impressive moments the past couple weeks, Jefferson could struggle to see the field down the stretch. Still, there’s definitely some long-term potential here.
Cornerback AJ Parker
Undrafted out of Kansas State, Parker came out of nowhere in the offseason to snatch Detroit’s starting nickel corner job, beating out veterans Corn Elder and Nickell Robey-Coleman.
Parker showed exceptional instincts and feisty competitiveness throughout the preseason, regularly punching above his 180-pound frame. But his size has been more problematic in the regular season, resulting in eight missed tackles.
In coverage, Parker has also struggled, allowing completions 25 of the 31 times he’s been targeted in coverage for 263 yards and three touchdowns. Some of those problems have been related to communication, leaving him out of position to make a play. That should get better with time and experience, but the leash is going to be relatively short with an undrafted player.
Cornerback Jerry Jacobs
One of a handful of pleasant surprises on the roster, Jacobs went from a prospect barely deserving of a chance to earning a roster spot, with his physical play and confidence paving the way to the job.
Jacobs didn’t really start seeing consistent playing time until the second half of Week 4, when Detroit yanked Bobby Price from the lineup. And while Jacobs has battled predictable ups and downs as the starter, he’s been surprisingly competitive in coverage, allowing 16 catches on 25 targets with five pass breakups.
At the very least, Jacobs has the ability to be a reliable depth piece going forward, capable of contributing on multiple special teams groups.
Tight end Brock Wright
A relative new addition to the active roster, Wright got the full-time bump off the practice squad following the mutual parting with veteran Darren Fells.
Like Fells, Wright largely fills a blocking role on offense, but the undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame has already registered 40 snaps on special teams, more than doubling the 18 Fells saw in seven games prior to his release.
Wright has a developable skill set, and you can absolutely see the potential as a blocker. He played a critical role in the team’s success on the ground against the Steelers, but he has a long way way to go to be adequately consistent in the role.
Plus, he’s offered next to nothing as a pass catcher. While that might never be a significant part of his game, he’ll need to at least be a threat to continue to see the field beyond this season.
Cornerback Mark Gilbert
An interesting prospect who had six interceptions as a college sophomore before injuries sidelined him most of the next three seasons, the Lions rolled the dice on Gilbert, poaching him off the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad in October.
The cousin of former All-Pro cornerback Darrelle Revis, Gilbert has some tantalizing physical traits, it’s simply a matter of whether he can stay healthy and stick around long enough for them to be developed.
After being a healthy scratch his first few weeks in Detroit, Gilbert found himself pressed into meaningful action last Sunday against Pittsburgh after Jacobs exited with a groin injury. In that limited playing time, Gilbert broke up a pass and forced a key fumble after getting beat for a long completion in overtime.
That’s a strong first impression, but he might struggle to see much playing time down the stretch without more injuries ahead of him on the depth chart after Jacobs returned to practice and Melifonwu close to rejoining the team, as well.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers