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It hasn’t been the year the Detroit Lions have wanted quite yet , but if there’s one promising aspect of the team, it’s their 2018 rookie class. Detroit has been getting continued production out of three of their first four picks, and while it’s Da’Shawn Hand that has been getting the highest grades from Pro Football Focus, Kerryon Johnson has drawn all the headlines. Johnson has already set a ton of franchise marks and helped turn around one of the worst rushing attacks in the league into an above-average unit (eighth in the NFL in yards per carry). Johnson quickly dispensed of the Lions’ 100-yard rusher drought, then put up one of the best performances by a Lions running back in nearly 30 years. As a result, the Lions running back is getting some national praise. The SB Nation FanPulse national Questions of the Week surrounded midseason awards, and Johnson was up for Rookie of the Year, alongside Saquon Barkley, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold. Here’s how the voting turned out:It’s understandable that Barkley would run away with the vote right now. Despite a cast of horrible players surrounding him—including a well below-average offensive line—Barkley is putting up massive production. Here are his stats alongside Johnson’s:Barkley: 111 rushes, 519 yards (4.7 YPC), 5 TDs; 58 catches , 497 yards, 2 TDsJohnson: 77 rushes, 466 yards (6.1 YPC), 1 TD; 21 catches, 158 yardsWhile Barkley has certainly had more opportunities than Johnson, that’s what potentially makes him a more valuable player. The Giants want him to be that bell-cow back, while the Lions may not want that from Johnson—at least this early in his career. As for the quarterbacks, they’re always going to get the attention of these awards, even if their statlines are mediocre. Mayfield and Darnold are perfect examples:Mayfield: 58.3 % completions, 6.6 Y/A, 8 TDs , 6 INTs, 78.9 passer ratingDarnold: 55.2% completions, 6.8 Y/A, 11 TDs, 10 INTs, 74.5 passer ratingNeither of these two quarterbacks should really be considered among the best rookies of the year, but they will continue to get the praise simply for being a starting rookie quarterback in the NFL. We’re only halfway through the season, so if Johnson continues to see his playing time increase, and he continues his amazingly efficient production, he could challenge Barkley for the postseason honors, especially if the Lions , as a team, can get it together and make a playoff run. With the Senior Bowl over and the Super Bowl now less than a week away, we’re headed towards the hellscape of the offseason for the NFL. Sure, there’s the NFL Combine in a couple weeks, and, yeah, free agency is just over a month away, but pretty soon we’re not going to have any football to watch, and that’s a sad, sad thing.However, this year will present a new option. The Alliance of American Football debuts less than a week after the Super Bowl ends—Saturday , February 9. The league has some players you may have heard of—former Lions tight end Joseph Fauria is probably the most notable for local fans—but it also has some players that may be future NFL players. As Lions general manager Bob Quinn said in his post-season press conference, the AAF will draw some attention from NFL scouts.“So, we’re going to actually send some of our scouts down there,” Quinn said. “They’re open for us to come down and evaluate. We’ll get their film once they start playing their games in February and March, so we’re going to scout them, yeah, for sure.”So today’s Question of the Day is:Will you watch the AAF?My answer: While I am vowing to watch more draft film and devote more research to the big event in April, the AAF really intrigues me. They seem to be setting things up the right way—using former NFL players and coaches to help establish the league—and the talent level should be good enough for the actual product to be more than watchable. I will definitely start watching when the league debuts on CBS in a couple weeks, and may try to keep up with it, depending on the entertainment level.Your turn.

[veranix]

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