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A Look At The Top 20 Impact Players For The 2018 Lions. #18 – Kerry Hyder

Kerry Hyder is a somewhat forgotten name among some fans since he was injured for the entire length of last season. However, the impact he made when he was healthy can’t be understated. In the 2016 season, Hyder was the Lions best lineman after he had to fill the shoes of Ezekiel Ansah. He recorded eight sacks that season and also led the team in tackles for loss.

Coming back, Hyder is on a one-year “prove it” deal which will give him an added incentive to perform at the level he did in 2016. With the added competition of Da’Shawn Hand coming in Hyder has more reasons now than ever to show how good he can be. With the changes in coaching staff and the Patricia philosophy of disguising defenses and utilizing the players’ best strengths, I think that Hyder will continue the development that he was making before his season-ending injury last year.

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If Ezekiel Ansah gets back to his top level that can leave the door open for another lineman to have an outstanding year as the focus won’t be on them. This is where I believe Hyder will step in. With his ability to get into the backfield he will be a nuisance to any opposing team that he is facing. There is always a doubt however as coming off of an injury that puts you out for an entire season has had detrimental effects on players in the past.

The top 20 countdown so far:

#20 – Rick Wagner

#19 – Jamal Agnew

Thanks for checking out the article everyone. Go Lions! Let me know what you think on Twitter @Alex_Watt_Lions and be sure to join the community on the Detroit Lions subreddit.