Malcolm Rodriguez Is Top PFF-Graded Rookie Linebacker
Many believe the Detroit Lions have outperformed their 1-4 start to the 2022 season, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
Prior to being shut out in Week 5 by the New England Patriots, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s unit was humming. The offense led the league in scoring through the season’s first four games, and currently sits third after both a shutout and a Week 6 bye.
The defense, however, leads the league in points allowed. Thus, Detroit has had to endure three of its four losses by four points or less.
There have been individual standouts to this point, as well as players who have not lived up to their billing. Here are notable individual grades given out by Pro Football Focus.
Highest-graded Lions player: WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (79.0)
The second-year wide receiver has been Detroit’s best player through the start of the 2022 campaign. Before missing Week 4 with an ankle injury that is still lingering, he was pacing the team in both receptions and yards.
St. Brown has shown plenty of versatility. Receiving prowess aside, he’s also run the ball twice for 68 yards. When healthy, he’s a threat to hurt defenses in multiple ways. Detroit is hoping he’ll be closer to full strength in Week 7, after he was a limited participant in Week 5.
Lowest-graded Lions player: CB Amani Oruwariye (27.7)
Oruwariye’s 2022 performance has been a vast disappointment. After he notched six interceptions in 2021, many believed he was on track to becoming a solid top option in the defensive backfield. Through five games, that notion has been proven wrong.
His PFF grade ranks 108th in the league among cornerbacks, making him the lowest-graded player at the position.
Most notably, the Penn State product was penalized six times in a Week 3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. After another bad outing in Week 4, Oruwariye was a healthy inactive in the Lions' Week 5 loss to New England.
Though he struggled and was benched, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell said the fourth-year corner will still have a chance to compete for playing time in Detroit’s secondary.
“Amani’s gonna get a chance to compete,” Campbell said Monday. “I told him he’s not out of the boat, so he’s gonna get a chance to compete this week and we’ll see where he can help us.”
Veteran grades
QB Jared Goff (62.8)
While Goff has been solid from a statistical standpoint with 11 touchdowns and four interceptions through five games, there are other factors that are more concerning.
For starters, he ranks 30th among quarterbacks in overall offensive grade and 26th in passing grade. According to PFF, 50 percent of his throws have been between zero-nine yards from the line of scrimmage. He’s hitting throws from 10 yards and longer at just a 45 percent mark (30-for-65).
OT Penei Sewell (77.3)
It’s been a strong start to year two for the Oregon product, as his 77.3 overall grade ranks second among Lions. That mark is also 13th best among offensive tackles.
At one point he was the top-graded right tackle in football, an honor that now belongs to Tampa Bay’s Tristan Wirfs. Sewell has allowed 10 pressures, which ranks tied for No. 36 in the league.
RB D’Andre Swift (69.7)
Swift ranks 32nd in the league in overall grade, with teammates Jamaal Williams and Craig Reynolds both ranking higher.
The former Georgia Bulldogs back has shown off his play-making prowess, and ranks higher with his rushing grade. There’s also been moments to like when it comes to pass protection, as he’s earned grades above 77 in each of his last two games.
Swift hasn’t played since Week 3, and Detroit is eagerly anticipating his return. While he’s been out, Williams and Reynolds have stepped up to shoulder the load.
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LB Chris Board (76.6)
Board is currently Detroit’s highest-graded defensive player. Billed as a special teams ace, the former Baltimore Ravens defender has held his own at the linebacker position, as well. While he hasn’t played at the volume that Malcolm Rodriguez and Alex Anzalone have, he’s been reliable when called into action.
Rookie report (Minimum 100 snaps)
LB Malcolm Rodriguez (68.6)
Rodriguez is PFF’s highest-graded rookie linebacker after six weeks, ahead of the likes of Quay Walker, Troy Andersen and Devin Lloyd. Those four are the only rookies at the position to have played at least 100 snaps.
The Oklahoma State product won a starting linebacker position out of training camp, and has been steady in his duties as a run-stopper. Pass coverage remains an issue, though, evidenced by his 59.7 coverage grade.
On a league-wide scale, Rodriguez ranks 21st among linebackers who have played a minimum 100 snaps. He’s Detroit’s sixth-highest-graded defender.
DE Aidan Hutchinson (63.7)
Hutchinson has struggled to make a significant impact on Detroit’s defensive line early in the season. All three of his sacks on the season came in one half against the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
He ranks ninth on Detroit’s defense with his 63.7 overall grade. His marks in pass rush (57.0) and tackling (52.9) are 13th and 15th, respectively.
Hutchinson ranks fourth in overall grade among rookie rushers with a minimum of 100 snaps, behind Michael Clemons, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Arnold Ebiketie. Among those same players, though, he ranks second in pressures with 15.
S Kerby Joseph (71.2)
Joseph is the only other Lions rookie to have played at least 100 snaps, as he’s logged 124 in two starts. He took over a starting spot in Detroit’s secondary, following the injury to Tracy Walker III.
The Illinois product is the highest-graded safety among rookies with 100 snaps, just ahead of Kyle Hamilton and Jaquan Brisker. In just two starts, he’s Detroit’s fourth-highest-graded defender, and his mark ranks 20th in the NFL.
