3 Detroit Lions who can safely be called busts after the 2023 season

2. DE Josh Paschal

The Lions took Paschal in the second round of the 2022 draft (No. 46 overall). The start of his rookie season was delayed by surgery to repair a sports hernia he suffered late in his final college season. Then a knee issue cost him two games a little later in the season, and his playing time never recovered to a notable level after that.

A knee injury cost Paschal five games early in the 2023 season. He played well against the run upon returning to action, and eventually played quite a bit (60 percent-plus snap shares in five of seven games from Week 13 to the Wild Card Round). But he did not put up much in the way of numbers, including just one sack over 15 total games for the season (including the playoffs).

Paschal is versatile, able to play inside or out on the edge, and he has flashed athleticism at times. He could be headed for a breakthrough/breakout in his third season, ala Alim McNeill this past season, and it's worth noting he has played 22 games and 693 defensive snaps over two seasons.

But the idea of Paschal having that third year breakthrough next season is rooted in his being able to be, or stay on, the field early in a season. It's hard to bank on that at all at this point. So it's possible to just declare him a bust and a top-50 pick that didn't work out right now, without the threat of regret.