Wednesday open thread: Who will be the 2022 Detroit Lions’ training camp darling?

It’s finally here, training camp at last! Time for us to fall in love with fourth stringers, write off free agent signings before they get a fair chance, and revive the careers of old friends. That brings us to today’s question of the day.

Question of the day: Who will be the 2022 Detroit Lions training camp darling?

My answer: I might get some flak for this, but I honestly think Jarrad Davis has a chance to revive his career this upcoming season, and training camp will be the first step.

It’s far from certainty, but the delicacy with which this staff brought a fifth-rounder in Derrick Barnes up to speed is highly encouraging. Barnes has a somewhat similar profile to Davis’ strengths, with both notorious for being heat-seeking missiles once they find the ball carrier in their sights.

Last season, the staff had a lot of patience with Barnes and put him in positions to succeed, and as he got comfortable later in the season, his role expanded. Davis had the opposite arc in Detroit, with high expectations and a coaching staff hell-bent on making linebackers the core of the defense setting up Davis with too much on his plate from day one. He never got the chance to slow down and adjust, and never seemed to have recovered from that.

I’m optimistic that a fresh start in Detroit with much more realistic expectations and a player-friendly staff means Jarrad Davis will get the right opportunities, even if they’re fewer. I look forward to seeing him on the field this week and finding out whether a fresh start will be enough to endear fans with more tempered expectations in Detroit this fall.

I doubt many of you have the same answer, so tear me to shreds and tell me your pick — who’s your prediction for training camp darling? Let’s hear it.