Four young Detroit Lions primed for a breakout 2023 season

The bottom line is, in his limited snaps, Houston got right to work and seemed to further prove that general manager Brad Holmes has impeccable scouting instincts. One would have to think that Houston will hear his name called much more often in 2023.

2. Kerby Joseph (Safety, 22 years old)

Joseph became a household name in Detroit when he recorded 10 tackles and picked off Aaron Rodgers twice in a 15-9 win over the Green Bay Packers at home. The win moved the Lions to 2-6 and kickstarted their red-hot tear to put them back in playoff contention. Fittingly, he also intercepted Rodgers' final pass in a Packers uniform in week 18 to help secure the Lions' 20-16 season-closing victory.

However, Joseph didn't get his first start until the fourth game of the season, and had starter and captain Tracy Walker III not gotten hurt, it may have taken even longer for Joseph to get his opportunity. With the Lions adding C.J. Gardner-Johnson in free agency and Walker III returning to form, Joseph will need to stay productive to hang onto his starting spot.

3. Amon-Ra St. Brown (Wide receiver, 23 years old)

Most would choose Jameson Williams from the Lions' receiving core as the most likely to break out, especially seeing that he had only one catch in 2022 (albeit a touchdown reception.) That very well could happen, but Williams will serve a six-game suspension to start the 2023 season following a gambling scandal. 

Enter St. Brown, the 2021 fourth-round pick out of USC. As quarterback Jared Goff's first option, St. Brown exploded onto the scene as a rookie with 90 catches and five touchdowns. There was no sophomore slump in 2022, as his production increased in every single receiving category, most notably 16 more receptions for 249 more yards. With the ever-creative offensive coordinator Ben Johnson returning to Detroit, St. Brown will look to earn a second consecutive Pro Bowl selection in 2023 while hopefully leading the Lions to the playoffs.

4. Josh Paschal (EDGE, 23 years old)

There are several candidates for this list on the defensive line, and that's a good problem to have if you're a Lions fan. To name a couple, EDGE Aidan Hutchinson was wildly impressive in his rookie season while defensive tackle Alim McNeill became the Lions' run-stopping plug.

Paschal was a second-round pick in 2022 who played sporadically as a rookie due to injury and caution thereafter. However, his final performance of the year was his best as he sacked Chicago's Fields twice in week 17 (joining Houston's sack party.) If Paschal can stay healthy in 2023, he will inevitably play in more than the 10 games he suited up for in 2022. With much of the opposing attention directed at Hutchinson, Paschal could take advantage as the thunder to Hutchinson's lightning to form a formidable pass-rushing duo for years to come.