4 Detroit Lions players who could lose their job to a rookie

2. LB Malcolm Rodriguez

As was almost too easy to foresee when they landed him in the sixth-round of the 2022 draft.. But "Rodrigo" was a find for the Lions, and he produced right away (87 total tackles, eight tackles for loss). The future is very bright for him, but 2023 is now cloudy.

The Lions brought back the eminently replaceable Alex Anzalone on a three-year deal this offseason, seemingly succumbing to his desire (however well-placed, given the track of his career) for a multi-year deal. So he's a starter and the "green dot guy" again for the Lions defense, as long as he's healthy.

Then the Lions used the 18th overall pick in the draft on linebacker Jack Campbell. That kind of draft capital investment automatically suggests he'll start right away, and he may have to fall completely on his face between here and Week 1 not to. There's no denying his overall production and talent, including the top pass coverage grade from Pro Football Focus among all FBS linebackers last season.

This is where we move into those who almost surely will lose their job to a rookie. Rodriguez will not go quietly in a position battle at linebacker that will be interesting to keep tabs on. But he will surely have to clearly beat out Campbell to keep his starting job going into the season, and it's hard to see that happening.