Saturday open thread: Which Detroit Lions player will have the most sacks in 2020?

The 2019 Detroit Lions were a team plagued by a lack of pass rush. Though they had talent in their secondary, it was hard for them to hold up as long as they had to, and opposing quarterbacks spent most of the season season picking them apart.

This offseason, the Lions didn’t exactly attack that weakness all that much. Sure, they added Jamie Collins Sr. to add some versatility to their linebacking corps, and they did spend a third-round pick on edge defender Julian Okwara. However, aside from those two, it’s pretty much the same cast of characters that will try to terrorize opposing quarterbacks on Sundays.

Last year, it was Trey Flowers and Devon Kennard who led the team in sacks, with both tallying seven during the course of the season. But the Lions released Kennard, whose pass rush win rate was actually quite poor. That could leave the door open for another Lion to take over as the team’s leading sacker.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Who will lead the team in sacks in 2020?

My answer: I want to say Trey Flowers. I really do. The Lions handed him a monster contract for a reason last year. However, given the rest of the Lions’ defensive lineup, I think opposing offenses will key in on Flowers, handing him double team after double team, much like last year. It won’t be easy for him.

So that should give someone the opportunity to step up. The Lions like to bring pressure from the linebacker level, which could mean rookie Julian Okwara is in for a big inaugural season or maybe even Austin Bryant, if the Clemson product takes a big step in Year 2. Don’t sleep on the Lions using Collins as a pass rusher, either, as he tallied 7.0 sacks last year, too.

Still, I have to go back to Flowers. I think the Lions linebacking corps is going to combine for a healthy amount of sacks, but it’s hard to see one specific player taking full advantage of Kennard’s exit. Flowers managed to get 7.0 sacks with little help from the rest of the defensive front last season. Perhaps with a little more skill at the linebacker level, Flowers can reach double digits this year.

Your turn.