7 Reasons the Lions Will Make the Playoffs in 2016

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Dec 27, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions middle linebacker Tahir Whitehead (59) yells as he runs onto the field with outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy (53) and defensive end Devin Taylor (98) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Ford Field. Lions win 32-17. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Young Players are Developing

Bob Quinn is asking a lot of the younger guys on the roster. By choosing not to address several positions, the Lions are counting on significant contributions from a number of players who haven’t been full time starters for even one full season. That doesn’t mean they won’t pan out.

On offense, Eric Ebron has been the starter at tight end since his rookie year but he seems to be making strides this offseason and he stands to benefit more than anyone from the retirement of Calvin Johnson. In addition to Ebron, Ameer Abdullah, Laken Tomlinson and TJ Jones have each put in work to improve their play. If they can all improve on their 2015 seasons, the Lions will only be better.

On defense, Devin Taylor gets a chance to prove himself as an every down starter in the NFL. Kyle Van Noy, who has been a huge disappointment amongst lions fans, has made big strides in improving his recognition when it comes to his keys and assignments. That has always been his biggest fault and hopefully this indicates that he’s turned the corner in that regard.

In the secondary, Nevin Lawson and Quandre Diggs performed well last year when called upon. This year it looks as though they’ll be handling the starting duties. If they can match or exceed last year’s performance, the defense will be one to watch.

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