What the Lions are saying about rookie class development and contributions beyond Terrion Arnold
Allen Park — In the early stages of an NFL rebuild, rookies tend to see the field early and often.
In 2021, coinciding with the arrival of general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions’ rookies played a league-high 5,280 snaps. That reliance on first-year players calmed down a bit as the rebuild rounded into contention, but the team still squeezed more than 7,000 snaps from its rookie classes the past two seasons.
Entering the 2024 campaign as a legitimate Super Bowl contender, with stellar depth throughout much of the roster, the Lions simply haven’t needed those immediate contributions as they have in the past.
Sure, first-round selection Terrion Arnold has been on the field nearly 90% of the team’s defensive snaps, but who else? The team’s remaining rookies — both draft picks and undrafted free agents — have combined for just 189 offensive and defensive snaps through seven games, and nearly three-quarters of those belong to sixth-round defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo.
With that in mind, let’s check in on the group of newcomers outside Arnold: