5 Detroit Lions players who are entering a make-or-break season in 2024
The Detroit Lions enter the 2024 season with the kind of expectations they've never really had. After losing the NFC Championship Game last year, and in the fashion they lost it (blowing a 24-7 halftime lead) it's definitely "Super Bowl of bust" to some extent.
Under that umbrella of high expectations, there are Lions' players who are entering important seasons in their careers. Big, critical, make-or-break, you can pick the label that suits you. The extent of the team's success this season may be driven by how these players perform in these critical as personal career outlooks get altered in a positive or negative direction.
With that in mind, these five Lions players are entering a make-or-break season this year.
5 Detroit Lions who are entering a make-or-break season in 2024
5. S Ifeatu Melifonwu
Melifonwu stepped into the starting lineup in Week 14 last year. Healthy and deployed in a way that suited him, he proceeded to be a force in the Lions' defense down the stretch.
From Week 14-18, Melifonwu posted the fourth-best overall Pro Football Focus grade among safeties (83.7). From Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game, he had five sacks, 42 total tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and eight quarterback hits.
The questions around Melifonwu are rooted in another injury that has his status for the start of the season in some level of doubt (but not enough doubt to put him on IR). The shift of Brian Branch to safety is also bringing a reduction in his role, though it's fair to say Aaron Glenn will find a way to get him on the field.
Melifonwu is also entering the final year of his rookie contract. So another season impacted by injury would not be ideal, to say nothing of the question around his role in the Lions' secondary.
4. DT Levi Onwuzurike
Onwuzurike took the positive work he did during OTAs right through training camp, as he eliminated any idea he was on the roster bubble pretty quickly when pads came on. He even got some some work as a defensive end during camp, pointing to a diverse role in the Lions' defensive front now that he's all the way back from back issues.
But now, with games that count coming, it's showtime for the 2021 second-round pick. Whatever his role or snap count is, which will be worth noting, it's time to be noticeable. Being healthier than he's been in years will go a long way to helping him get that done.