FanPost

Of the rookies most likely to make the roster this season, which one do you think will exceed expectations?

I’m not going with the Lions 1st round pick, TE Eric Ebron, because expectations for him are already so high, I can only hope he lives up to them. If he exceeds them, we’re possibly talking offensive ROTY or even ROTY. That was actually one of his stated goals, so he’s already set expectations pretty high himself. Ebron has done several interviews and received a lot of local and national media coverage. I think we can all agree the expectations for Ebron are going to be hard for him to exceed.

I would put the Lions 2nd round pick, LB Kyle Van Noy (KVN), a little further behind Ebron on my scale of expectations. Not quite as hyped as Ebron, but the expectations for KVN are still pretty high. That said, there’s some room for him to exceed them.

As for the rookies not named Ebron or KVN, I think there are a few who make the roster, but most will have to earn a spot on the practice squad or hope for opportunities elsewhere.

The rookie who I think will make the roster and exceed expectations by the greatest margin (not a sleeper pick - I'll leave that as another category) is the Lions 5th round pick, DT Caraun Reid. I know a lot of folks were initially surprised if not apprehensive about the pick, but once we had a closer look at him and saw his potential I think most fans recognized his upside and acknowledged he was a good value pick in the 5th round.

476673503.0_standard_709.0_medium

via cdn2.vox-cdn.com

Without offering an in depth analysis (there are several examples on this forum and elsewhere), I would concede Reid’s measureables aren’t superhuman and he "only" played at Princeton, but he was the 2013 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and made a pretty good impression at the 2014 Senior Bowl. Despite being a little smaller in height, I like his burst; he’s physically and mentally quick. Not 40 speed fast, but quick, which should make for some great pass rushing. Reid is a smart player capable of quickly comprehending more complex schemes and should have no problem adapting to the NFL and DC Teryl Austin’s plan to mix things up for opposing offenses.

I think the combination of Reid’s physical and mental abilities will enable him to exceed expectations. I see him getting limited reps in the rotation at the start of the season, then having an increased role as he develops and gains more NFL experience. I believe Reid will prove to be a great insurance policy for Nick Fairley, who will likely benefit from being pushed by Reid’s performance as well as the added motivation from being in the last year of his contract. If Fairley doesn’t deliver, or has a breakout year and demands too much in a new contract, Reid may turn out to be Fairley’s replacement.

That’s just my opinion, does anyone else have a rookie you think will exceed expectations this season?

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pride Of Detroit or its writers.