Tuesday open thread: Which Lions player is most important to Detroit’s success in 2019?

It’s June, the (pre)season is over two months away, and NFL fans are left twiddling their thumbs in anticipation of yet another season of football action.

So let’s pause on the Lions for a moment and think about some of the big changes the team has underwent in just a few short months:

• Detroit hires Darrell Bevell to be the team’s new offensive coordinator
• Detroit signs veteran C.J. Anderson in April, he goes on to comment about his appreciation for Bevell’s “old-school approach” when it comes to running the football
• Detroit drafts a tight end—T.J. Hockenson—at No. 8 overall in the draft after signing another one—Jesse James—in free agency
• Detroit appears to be shuffling around the offensive line, moving Frank Ragnow to center, Graham Glasgow to guard

These moves, along with these comments made by Darrell Bevell, make one thing very apparent: the Detroit Lions plan to make running the football a top priority.

And that brings us to today’s “Question of the Day”:

Which Lions player is most important to Detroit’s success in 2019?

For the first time in a very long time, and definitely since the Lions drafted Matthew Stafford, the player most responsible for the team’s success in 2019 isn’t going to be the quarterback. Which is entirely bonkers considering the age we’re in with the most successful teams throwing the ball all over the field to win football games.

But look no further than Kerryon Johnson being the player most responsible for Detroit’s success in 2019. The Lions need Johnson to be a consistent contributor, week in and week out, in order for the team to be competitive.

In his rookie season, Johnson showed some brilliance on the field at the running back position, the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades, but after an injury sidelined him for the final three games of the season, one of his greatest challenges will be managing his health; Detroit’s acquisition of Anderson shows the team has a plan to manage his workload and have a capable veteran runner to spell Johnson should the injury bug bite.

Your turn.