2020 Preview: Projecting Trey Flowers' Stats

Projecting Lions defensive end Trey Flowers' stats for the upcoming 2020 season. Read more.

Defensive end Trey Flowers had big expectations going into last season after inking a five-year, $90 million deal with the Lions.

He was coming off a 7.5-sack, 57-tackle campaign in his last season with Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots.

He basically matched that stat line in his first campaign in the Motor City. He suited up for 15 games, and logged seven sacks and 51 total tackles.

The seven sacks matched ex-Detroit linebacker Devon Kennard for the team lead.

It was a good year from the University of Arkansas product, but it wasn't exactly what the Lions fanbase expected due to his expensive contract.

ESPN's Mike Clay projects him to produce a similar stat line in 2020.

Clay's projection has the sixth-year pro finishing with approximately seven sacks (7.1) plus 53 combined tackles.  

While a repeat of his production from last year would be far from horrible, it would still leave a large sect of the Detroit fanbase unhappy.

As part of his present contract, he is set to make $56 million in guaranteed money until the conclusion of the 2023 campaign.

That is the third-most guaranteed money among all defensive ends in the league today, according to Spotrac. 

He only trails the Chiefs' Frank Clark ($62.3M) and the Cowboys' DeMarcus Lawrence ($65M) in the category.

Clark and Lawrence, on a multi-year basis, have both been significantly more productive than Flowers, though.

Over the course of the last three seasons, Clark and Lawrence have each averaged 10 sacks a year.

Flowers, meanwhile, has averaged seven.

For all the money Flowers is making, he needs to record 10 sacks in 2020 in order to live up to the bill, especially with the rest of the Lions' pass-rushing unit being rather subpar.  

However, I don't see it happening.

My projection is that he'll record a career-high 8.5 sacks, to go along with 55 total tackles.

It wouldn't be too shabby of a year for the big man, but it still would likely leave a sizable amount of Detroit supporters unsatisfied at season's end.

Related

Nate Burleson's Biggest Career Regret: 'Trying to Save That Pizza While Driving'

3 Major Question Marks for Lions' Defense ahead of Training Camp

Ranking the NFC North's Secondaries

Should Detroit Lions Extend Matthew Stafford's Contract?