Which Detroit Lions 2019 draft pick needs to break out next season?

The Detroit Lions 2019 draft class was mediocre at best this past season. Which player do they need to have a break out year the most?

For Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia, the heat is on. Get it right and win games or advance to the unemployment line without passing ‘Go’ or collecting millions of dollars.

What that basically means is that unlike last offseason when it appeared that the Lions had done pretty well, until the season blew up in their faces, they have to not only get this offseason right they have to ace it.

They also can’t afford another T.J. Hockenson. This isn’t meant to slight the talented former Iowa tight end, but the fans wanted defensive tackle Ed Oliver or linebacker Devin Bush and they were right.

They were right because the Lions defense was abysmal and needs talented difference-makers. I do believe that Hockenson will become an outstanding tight end, but it’s a position that takes time to learn. Oliver or Bush would have made rookie mistakes, but they also would have contributed faster on a defense that needed all the help it could get.

So Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia have to get this offseason right. Anything shy of a home run will most likely cost them their jobs. Which means their plans for free agency and the draft will have to be really good.

Like dead on bullseye good. Because last season’s free agency signings and draft class didn’t contribute nearly enough to help give the Lions a chance to be any good.

The hope that Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia have is that the 2019 draft class will collectively take a big step forward. Something that is possible, but even if it were to happen they still need a monster offseason.

They need to sign free agents that will come in and contribute positively, not spend the year on injured reserve. They also need their draft picks to make some noise as rookies. The overall combination of last year’s draft class, this year’s free-agent signings and the 2020 draft class playing well together would actually give the Lions a chance to turn things around.

But that is a big ‘if’. So if the Lions don’t ace this offseason, what member of the Lions 2019 draft class needs to step up and become a difference-maker the most?