4 Detroit Lions players to be excited about looking toward the 2022 season

Looking toward the 2022 season, these four Detroit Lions players are worth getting excited about.

The Detroit Lions finished 3-13-1 in 2021, but that’s missing the bigger picture. Three wins in their final six games, all over teams that won at least eight games and the last two over playoff teams, is reason for optimism moving forward.

The coming offseason brings what general manager Brad Holmes called the “player acquisition phase” of the Lions’ rebuild. But there are players who are clearly part of the future from the team during the just-finished season, and they won’t be displaced by free agent signings, trade acquisitions or incoming draft picks.

With that in mind, here are four Detroit Lions players worth getting excited about looking toward the 2022 season.

4 Detroit Lions players worth getting excited about for 2022 season

4. OLB Julian Okwara

In 13 games this season, Okwara had five sacks, nine quarterback hits and six tackles for loss. He also played 50 percent of the snaps or more in a game just five times. He ended strongly, with a two-sack outing against the Packers in Week 18 and at least one quarterback hit in each of his last four games.

Along with more opportunity, better health would be helpful (missed Week 14-16 with an ankle injury). The Lions edge rusher mix could look very different once free agency and the draft is over, but the younger Okwara has certainly got potential that hasn’t been fully tapped just yet.