Lions' Rookie Report Card: Joseph, Rodriguez, Paschal Disappoint

Detroit Lions rookies Kerby Joseph and Malcolm Rodriguez struggle to stop the run against the Carolina Panthers.

The Lions' defense failed to show up on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers. 

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unit was trounced, allowing a season-high 570 total yards in the Christmas Eve matchup. 

With that said, it was an extremely disappointing day for several Detroit rookies, including safety Kerby Joseph, linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez and EDGE Josh Paschal.  

Without further ado, here are the Week 16 grades for the Lions' 2022 rookie class. 

EDGE Aidan Hutchinson: C 

Saturday was far from the first-year EDGE defender's best performance. 

Hutchinson was part of a defensive line that struggled mightily in stopping the rushing attack of the Panthers.

He and his defensive linemen counterparts allowed Carolina to rush for 7.4 yards per carry, 320 total yards and three touchdowns.

Hutchinson also failed to record both a sack and a single quarterback hit for the second straight week.

The Michigan product wasn't one of the Lions' worst defensive performers in Week 16, but he still didn't do enough to give Detroit a valid shot to win the contest.

For that, he gets a "C" for his performance on Christmas Eve.

S Kerby Joseph: D 

Joseph was part of a Lions secondary that couldn't tackle a soul on Saturday.

The first-year safety led the way in missed tackles for Detroit against the Panthers, en route to delivering one of his worst performances of the year.

It came at a completely inopportune time, too, with DeShon Elliott, the leader of the team's safeties group, missing the Week 16 contest.

Here's to hoping that Joseph and the Lions' defensive backs bounce back on Sunday against Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears.

Bob Donnan, USA TODAY Sports

LB Malcolm Rodriguez: D-

Speaking of not being able to tackle anybody, Rodriguez fit right into that group of Detroit players on Saturday.

Rodriguez still managed to record five total tackles and a tackle for loss in the Week 16 tilt. However, ultimately, he was part of a linebackers unit that was gashed by Carolina's backs all afternoon long.

It earned him a dismal grade of 43.1 from Pro Football Focus, the fifth-worst mark among all Lions players for the week. It's why I couldn't give him anything higher than a "D-" for his forgettable performance on Christmas Eve.

WR Jameson Williams: D 

The first-round pick went MIA in Carolina. For the second consecutive week, Williams, the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 draft, was targeted just once, and went without a single catch.

He was also used on only 17 percent of Detroit's offensive snaps, lower than the percentage of snaps he took in both Weeks 14 and 15 (19 percent).

There is something to slowly acclimating an individual to playing at the NFL level, especially one that is coming off a major injury like Williams. However, due to his extremely low usage rate, more and more Lions fans are asking the question: Why did Detroit invest the No. 12 pick in him (if it wasn't going to use him)? 

It's a valid question. And, for that reason, I'm forced to give the rookie wideout a "D" for his efforts in Week 16.

TE James Mitchell: A-

On Saturday, Mitchell turned in arguably his best performance of the season. For the second straight week, he hauled in two passes from Jared Goff. Additionally, the rookie tight end amassed the most yards he ever has as a pro in the holiday matchup (31 yards).

Mitchell did miss a block on Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu late in the first quarter. However, all in all, it was a solid performance from the Virginia Tech product, and it helped him earn an 88.5 PFF grade (the highest grade among all Lions players for the week).

EDGE James Houston: B 

Houston went without a sack and QB hit for the first time in his NFL career. However, he still ended up with a solid mark from PFF, amassing an 87.0 grade in Week 16. Additionally, it was good enough to lead all Lions defenders for the week.  

Here's to hoping that he records a sack or two of Fields Sunday at Ford Field. 

EDGE Josh Paschal: F 

Paschal, Detroit's second-round pick (No. 46 overall) in the 2022 draft, recorded another disappointing performance on Saturday. 

He played in a season-low 19 percent of the Lions' defensive snaps, and failed to make a single impact play (no sacks, QB hits or tackles for loss). Additionally, in eight games this season, the Kentucky product has yet to produce a sack or tackle for loss.

Paschal's poor performance on Christmas Eve also resulted in a 33.4 PFF grade, the third-lowest mark among all Lions players for the week.

With just two weeks to go now in the 2022 campaign, it's looking less and less likely that he will deliver a solid showing before season's end.