What Kerryon Johnson Needs to Do in Third Year

Vito Chirco takes a look at what Kerryon Johnson needs to do in third year in league

There's no denying the fact that Bob Quinn & Co. need to make a myriad of quality moves this offseason in order to make the Lions into playoff contenders in 2020.

And both sides of the ball demand an ample amount of attention.

Another way in which the Lions can become a winning team to kick off the new decade, though, is by having the players that are already on their roster take steps forward.

One of those players is running back Kerryon Johnson, who is entering his third year in the league.

The Auburn product has failed to stay healthy through his first two NFL seasons.

Last year, he dealt with a knee injury that sidelined him for eight games.

And in his rookie campaign in 2018, he failed to play in a full season's worth of games -- suited up for 10 games -- due to another knee malady.

Before getting hurt in his first year as a pro, the Lions' 2018 second-round pick was enjoying an impressive start to his career.

He logged 5.4 yards per carry, and made many Detroit fans believe that the franchise had found its No. 1 back for years to come.        

Unfortunately, the 22-year-old failed to build upon the success in his second season in the league. He produced just 3.6 yards per carry, and was far from a reliable option in the Lions' backfield on a game-to-game basis.

For him to regain the status of Detroit's bell-cow back of the present and future, he will need to do two things: prove that he can remain healthy for the duration of a season and revert to his YPC total from his first NFL season.

If he doesn't, he will become another Lions running back -- in a long list of ones -- that showed promise but never lived up to the bill over the long term.

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