Potential is great, and Josh Paschal is full of it. He also knows "potential is just something you have to achieve." In other words, something you haven't achieved yet. He and the Lions are alike in that sense, a player and a team with lots to prove.
"We’re capable of everything we want," Paschal said Wednesday.
So is he. Paschal didn't achieve much as a rookie as he recovered from core muscle surgery and later battled a knee injury, but he's healthy entering year two. And the second-round pick feels like himself again, potentially great news for Detroit's defensive line.
"I feel completely different," Paschal said. "I just feel more prepared."
Paschal's NFL career began on the sidelines. He spent training camp and the first five games of his rookie season on the physically unable to perform list. He didn't debut until Week 7, making two tackles in Detroit's loss to Dallas. Two weeks later, Paschal had five QB pressures against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers in the win that sparked the Lions' second-half surge. The knee sent him back to the sidelines a week after that. He played sparingly the rest of the way.
With a blend of power and speed, Paschal presents problems for an offense. He adds size to the edge of the defensive line, and quickness to the interior. He says he's "the guy that has specific power rushes, but who's also violent enough to go inside to play against the run and the pass, and also set edges on the outside." Sounds like a useful piece for defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who has a potentially deep cast of pass-rushers to deploy this year.
"That’s one player that I’m very excited for," Glenn said Monday.
Not as excited as the player himself. Paschal hated being a spectator for so much of his rookie season, especially as the Lions were finding their stride. He wanted to show that he could play at this level, that he could push the team further, that he was worthy of getting drafted where he did. Asked if he feels an eagerness to prove himself this year, Paschal jumped at the chance to answer: "Definitely. Just because I know what I’m capable of."
"I knew that last year, but now it’s time to prove it. I know that I have to prove myself and I’m ready for that, I accept that challenge," Paschal said. "Most importantly I gotta prove it to myself first, because I know that I’m able to do this stuff and now it’s about going out into games and doing it."
Same is true of Detroit's defense. For all its growth in the second half of last season, the unit still finished last in the NFL. The Lions surrendered the most yards per game and yards per play in the league. They won't improve without improvement within, which is where players like Paschal loom large. His presence has grown with the physicality in camp.
After having a full offseason to work on his body, Paschal says he feels "way stronger than I was." And this 23-year-old was no pushover to begin with. The result is a player with more stability, which should help him stay healthy. The benefit, said Paschal, is that "I can definitely play the game that I'm used to playing now."
That game, in his own words: "Be as fast and as violent as possible."
"He’s a powerful, physical man and again, that’s why we drafted him in the second round," said Glenn. "We expected those things from him. He’s going to be a good player. He’s going to be a really good player, and I’m excited to see what he’s going to give us this season.”
Listen live to 97.1 The Ticket via:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker