Detroit Jock City
Fansided

Detroit Lions: Rookie Contributions a Bright Spot in 2016 Season

By Zac Snyder

Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Taylor Decker (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Detroit Lions as the number sixteen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 28, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Taylor Decker (Ohio State) with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected by the Detroit Lions as the number sixteen overall pick in the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at Auditorium Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 11
Next
Sep 25, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 25, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (68) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 34-27. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Taylor Decker

One of the early surprises of the Lions 2016 draft class was that it seemed very early that the Lions were handing the left tackle job to Taylor Decker rather than having him battle it out with incumbent Riley Reiff.

Even my best case scenario involved Decker having to beat out Reiff after proving to be at least his equal.

"Best-case scenario: Proves at least Riley Reiff‘s equal to earn the starting left tackle job as a rookie. Worst-case scenario: Starts at right tackle but plays at a level that makes some wonder if his starting spot is due to draft status and to gain experience more than because of performance."

I had figured there would at least be a position battle early in training camp but that didn’t happen and Decker didn’t disappoint. That’s not to say Decker was flawless from the beginning, but he was quick to show improvement throughout preseason play and it was clear early in the regular season that he was not only the left tackle of the future but of the present as well.

The success of a draft class has a tendency to be defined by the success of the first pick in the class and the early returns on Decker are overwhelmingly positive. With his first pick of his first draft class, it looks like Quinn hit a home run.

Home/Detroit Lions