Before the hirings of head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, the Detroit Lions were arguably the laughingstock of the league. Prior to their introduction in 2021, the Lions had made the playoffs just three times since 2000 and had done nothing when two of arguably the greatest Lions were on the team.
During this time, the Lions' front office made numerous poor decisions, from roster management to head coaching turnover. One of those moves that they ended up regretting later on was trading away linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who’s continuously proven to be a valuable asset to championship-caliber teams at age 34
Kyle Van Noy is Remains a Quality Contributor
As fans, we tend to forget how difficult it is to be a great player in the NFL, but also how hard it is to sustain a long career in the league. According to Statista, the average NFL playing career lasts just 3.3 years. Van Noy, who was selected by the Lions in 2014, is one of the few who have spent nearly triple that time in the league, as he’s playing his 12th season in the NFL.
Despite being one of the older players at his position, Van Noy has continued to provide solid production to the Baltimore Ravens. Just last season, Van Noy had the best season of his career, posting a career-high in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (14), which earned him his first Pro-Bowl nod.
Although his production has dropped this year, recording just 18 total tackles and two sacks in 12 games this season, he’s still an important contributor to the Ravens.
Just last week, Van Noy hauled in his first interception of the season, which he handed off to Alohi Gilman for a touchdown to secure the Ravens' win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Even at his age, Van Noy remains a great run defender, earning a 68.4 run defense grade per Pro Football Focus, which ranks 31st out of 112 edge rushers. PFF grades aren't the only way to assess a player, but it shows he still has juice in the tank.
Even though it’s been nine years, it still stings for Lions’ fans to see Van Noy produce at a high-level. Despite the Lions' success over the last three years, it’s hard not to dwell on the fact that the Lions gave up on Van Noy for a seventh-round pick, only to see him become a vital contributor to two of their Super Bowl victories.
Mismanagement by the Lions led to numerous horrendous moves over the years. It made no sense for the Lions to give up on a second-round selection mid-way through his third season.
Although we can be frustrated at them for making this terrible move, we can’t blame them entirely. They never knew that great Van Noy would become a versatile defender on the edge and in the box.
That’s because they hardly played him. In his first two seasons, Van Noy appeared in just 131 defensive snaps over two years. While he didn’t provide them with much production in this time, it’s a shame that the Lions were this ignorant.
Regardless, we must give Van Noy all the credit in the world for still being an impact player at his age. Hopefully, the Lions use this as a lesson not to give up on young players not flourishing right away.