Five Detroit Lions that roared against the Patriots

DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 25: Marvin Jones #11 of the Detroit Lions tries to make a second quarter catch while being defended by Eric Rowe #25 of the New England Patriots during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 25, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - AUGUST 25: Marvin Jones #11 of the Detroit Lions tries to make a second quarter catch while being defended by Eric Rowe #25 of the New England Patriots during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 25, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
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DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 25: Chris Hogan #15 of the New England Patriots scores a first quarter touchdown past the tackle of Jarrad Davis #40 of the Detroit Lions during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 25, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – AUGUST 25: Chris Hogan #15 of the New England Patriots scores a first quarter touchdown past the tackle of Jarrad Davis #40 of the Detroit Lions during a preseason game at Ford Field on August 25, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Jarrad Davis, Linebacker

A ton of expectations come with being selected in the first round of the NFL draft. And most prospects often fail to meet those lofty goals set by the team, it’s coaches and the fans. But it appears linebacker Jarrad Davis is living up to the early hype.

Against the Patriots on Friday night, Davis appeared to be growing with every play. Although it was a far from perfect outing from the 21-year old out of Florida, the young defender was able to lead the team with eight total tackles.

It was certainly the rookie’s best performance in the preseason, as Davis recorded just one tackle against the Indianapolis Colts and posted two versus the New York Jets.

Davis was penciled in as the Lions’ day one starter at middle linebacker the moment he was drafted 21st overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. And that position can be a difficult adjustment for rookies as he’s not only responsible for his assignments, but for calling out the plays to the defense while also making sure everyone else is in the right position.

With every game, first-year linebacker Jarrad Davis has gotten better and better. And Friday night against the world champions, the rookie had his best game as a professional. His future looks bright.

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