Multiple injuries slowed down Josh Paschal, but as we learned during his time at Kentucky, they could not keep him down for long. The Detroit rookie wreaked havoc in week 17 against the Chicago Bears to keep the Lions’ playoff hopes alive.
Three-time Kentucky team captain Josh Paschal missed his final game as a Wildcat with a core muscle injury. He let the hernia heal naturally throughout the draft process before ultimately opting to undergo surgery over the summer. It forced him to the sideline for the first six weeks of the season.
The second round draft pick made his debut as a starter on the Detroit defensive line in week seven. He quickly recorded his first NFL tackle by taking down Ezekiel Elliot. Despite the slow start, Paschal was confident he belonged.
“I wouldn’t say there was a lot of pressure,” he said after the game. “For me, I know that I was brought here to make plays. They were not going to draft me just to draft me. They expect something out of it. I wanted to go out there and fly around, plays will come. You just gotta be able to play your technique and do everything right in order to make a play.”
He made two tackles in his debut, but it was not always smooth sailing. He played in about 90% of the defensive snaps through his first three games. Then playing time dipped dramatically in his fourth start thanks to a minor knee injury. Despite the diminished role, Josh Paschal persevered and fought through the nagging injury.
All of his hard work paid off on Sunday. Josh Paschal tallied a career-high four tackles and his first two career sacks in a 41-10 win over the Bears.
First career sack for Josh Paschal!#CHIvsDET |
FOX pic.twitter.com/e9QibMFjQY
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 1, 2023
Second sack of the day for Paschal!#CHIvsDET |
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) January 1, 2023
Not only is Josh Paschal experiencing some individual success in year one, the Lions went from holding the second overall pick to playing for a playoff spot in the final week of the regular season. With a Seahawks loss and a win over the Packers, Detroit will be the seven seed in the NFC.
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