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Revisiting the Detroit Lions’ 2016 draft: Bob Quinn’s first

By James F. Puzzuoli

CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: (L-R) Taylor Decker of Ohio State holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #16 overall by the Detroit Lions during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - APRIL 28: (L-R) Taylor Decker of Ohio State holds up a jersey with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being picked #16 overall by the Detroit Lions during the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University on April 28, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images) /
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Zettel celebrates a tackle
DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 08: Defensive end Anthony Zettel #69 of the Detroit Lions reacts to a defensive play against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Ford Field on October 8, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

THE POSSIBLE GEM

Defensive end Anthony Zettel might be the late round impact player for Detroit. He only had one sack in 2016, but he did that with no starts. Zettel’s sophomore campaign included 6.5 sacks as the 16-game starter in 2017. If Zettel develops into a star pass rusher, it could be a huge win for the Lions.

On Tuesday, the Lions franchised defensive end Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah. So, Zettel has another year to be paired with Ziggy, who the Lions clearly think is an elite pass rusher. If Ansah is healthy in 2018, he could be instrumental in Zettel’s continued development.

Overall, Bob Quinn’s 2016 draft looks like it could be exceptional. Two years out, it doesn’t look like he missed early. That feels pretty good. He has his “Day 3” misses, but he also has added depth to the roster and may have something special in Zettel. That feels pretty good too.

The exceptional nature of this draft is that there still are so many contributors to the roster. But as this group only enters year three, it is important that these picks have impact six, seven, maybe even eight years into their careers. That would be exceptional for sure.

Year number three is very important for any player. This 2016 class must take the next step. The development on the field needs to go beyond a playoff berth, and this team must win the division. That may seem like a lot to ask, but it really is the only step worthy of a team that wants to win a Super Bowl.

Next: Ranking the 5 best Lions draft classes of the past 30 years

If the Detroit Lions do win the division, this 2016 draft class will be mostly responsible for it. They have the years. They are the guys that Bob Quinn hand-picked. They are the key.

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