Expect the Lions pass rush to dominate in 2022
By: Jake Rajala
The Detroit Lions ranked 30th in sacks last season (w/ 30 sacks on the season), but their 2022 front seven is a different animal than their 2021 version. The Lions showcase the mighty Aidan Hutchinson, who is seen as a 2022 DROY favorite by countless analysts. Hutch showed on Day 4 of training camp that he is ready to shine as a rookie – as he beat the talented, second-year OT Penei Sewell for a sack. Hutch will certainly look to unleash havoc against David Bakhtiari prior to sacking A-Rod soon.
According to Sports Betting Dime, Hutch is the favorite to win DROY right now.
Hutch isn’t the only profile that could resemble Amleth on the Lions DL. The Lions will anticipate more pass-rushing production from DT Michael Brockers. The former Rams DT unveiled 5 sacks, 10 QB hits, and 5 TFLs in 2020, but he only registered a mere sack and one QB hit in 2021. Alongside the rookie sensation at DE, he should have plenty of more favorable opportunities to bury opposing signal-callers next season.
The other Lions DE Romeo Okwara was on another level in 2020: 10 sacks and 18 QB hits. Unfortunately, Okwara tore his Achilles in Week 4 and then missed the rest of the season. It appears that he should be available by mid-season. The veteran edge rusher will be a free agent in 2024. Let’s also not forget about the former Missouri DE Charles Harris, who nicely notched 7.5 sacks a season ago.
The Lions arguably have the most underrated pass-rushing tandem entering 2022. Between the former Michigan Wolverine and Juliet’s lover, the Lions could realistically have 20-25 sacks. The Lions passing offense should be more explosive than last season, too. This also means that the Lions pass rushers will be able to pin their ears back against desperate QBs that aim to keep pace with the Lions new-look passing offense. Expect the Lions pass rush to feast and potentially be the key ingredient in an upset against the Packers or Vikings.
