Lions defensive tackle Brodric Martin eyeing more opportunity and a breakthrough next season

The Detroit Lions traded back up into the third round of last April's draft to take Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin. Martin was widely regarded as a late-round pick, and the call from the Lions even surprised him as he prepared to extend his draft gathering to Day 3.

It was fair, and not a negative, to call Martin a developmental prospect when he was drafted. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn outlined what the young man had to work on, while noting the benefit of practicing against one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

So it was not surprising that Martin was ultimately a healthy scratch for all but three games during his rookie season, playing a total of 28 defensive snaps. Ideally you'd get more from a top-100 pick in his first year, but the Lions weren't going to rush him into action on that basis.

Martin should have an increased role next season, with another offseason and training camp to hone his craft. Before his rookie season, talking to the Detroit Lions podcast, Martin acknowledged how he had to work on his pad level and overall play strength. Getting into better shape, after coming in at 330 pounds as a rookie, is sure to be on the radar this offseason.

Martin is already eyeing that bigger role as the offseason starts.

Brodric Martin will look toward a teammate as he prepares to take big step in his second season

Martin recently talked to Tim Twentyman of Lions.com. He talked about Alim McNeill, who notably worked to get into better shape heading into his third season and it paid off with a breakout campaign this season.

"It's a big transformation he made," Martin said, about the work McNeill put in last offseason. "Going into Year 3 it was a huge transformation for him. Obviously made him a better player. So, it's something I'm definitely going to hone in on and try to do."

Martin got right down to what his No. 1 goal for his second season is.

"Every week. Every week." Martin said of his goal next season to play a bigger role in the defense. "Be an impact player."