The Detroit Lions are going to have to make some tough decisions regarding players on both sides of the ball when it comes to trimming their training camp roster down to the 53-man unit that will enter the regular season.
Typically, players who were recent draft picks selected in the first three rounds would not be considered candidates to be training camp cuts. There are always exceptions to that rule, however, and one of them could currently be on Detroit's roster.
Certain expectations are placed on a player selected in the top 100 picks of the NFL Draft. While that can offer young players some job security, it also makes them stick out like a sore thumb whenever things do not go as planned.
This is why recent second-round pick Josh Paschal should be looking over his shoulder until the team's final roster is released at the end of training camp.
Lions DE Josh Paschal Is Most Likely to Be Cut for a Camp Standout
Josh Paschal was a beast of a prospect during his time at the University of Kentucky, but has struggled mightily to make a similar impact for the Lions after Detroit selected him with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
In his three years on Detroit's roster, Paschal has never appeared in more than 14 games in a single season. His numbers reflect that as well. In 36 career games, Paschal has 62 total tackles and just five sacks. That simply isn't good enough and is part of the reason why Paschal enters the 2025 campaign on an expiring contract.
This past season, Paschal had an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 54.5, ranking him 154th out of 211 eligible edge rushers. His pass rush grade was even worse. Paschal's play this past season earned him a score of 48.0, placing him in the bottom 10 of the rankings. The only acceptable part of his game was his ability to defend against the run. Even then, his grade of 62.5 was much closer to the league average than any elite level of production.
With edge rushers like Marcus Davenport, Isaac Ukwu, and Nate Lynn all having standout moments at training camp thus far, Paschal cannot afford to fall any further behind the pack than he already has. The former second-round pick being on the active/non-football injury list certainly isn't helping his cause in that regard.
This season, Paschal is on the books for $2.4 million. While that isn't chump change by any stretch, it isn't too much money to save Paschal from Detroit's final cuts out of training camp. If he wants to continue his NFL career in Detroit beyond August, Paschal must figure out a way to get back on the field and start contributing to the defense.
Those other players listed above are certainly gunning for Paschal's spot and won't feel bad about taking a job from the veteran.