Sunday open thread: Which Lions rookie has impressed you the most this year?

The Detroit Lions are nearly halfway through Year 2 of their teardown and rebuild with the current regime, and it’s essential that they continue to get good production from their young core. Their most recent draft class has given us plenty of hope for the future.

Aidan Hutchinson, their second overall pick, is heating up as of late and has by far the most pressures of anyone else on the team. Third-round pick, Kerby Joseph, has stepped into a starting role and currently holds the second-highest coverage grade of all safeties in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus. And against all odds, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez who was selected in the sixth round earned a starting job in training camp and has held onto it looking like the best linebacker the Lions have had in years.

You’ve also got some other rookies that are getting increased playing time, like tight end James Mitchell and defensive lineman Joshua Paschal. Both will have a chance to make an impact, and we haven’t even mentioned rookie receiver Jameson Williams, who despite not playing a single snap yet due to his recovery from a torn ACL, might end up being the biggest star of them all.

Today’s Question of the Day is...

Which Lions rookie has impressed you the most so far this year?

My answer: Kerby Joseph.

With only one year of college starting experience, Joseph was as raw of a prospect as they come, and reports out of training camp seemed to confirm the belief that Joseph wasn’t nearly ready enough to play any meaningful snaps.

But as the injuries started to pile on, the Lions were at a point where they didn’t really have many other options, so Joseph earned the Week 4 start after Tracy Walker went down. Since then, Joseph has earned a coverage grade of 70 or higher in each game via PFF and forced a fumble in each of the Lions’ previous two games. In a secondary that has been near the bottom of the league, Joseph is one of the bright spots.