18519970-standard.jpg

Linebacker Kyle Van Noy appears to finally be turning a corner in Year 3.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

ALLEN PARK -- The Detroit Lions expected Kyle Van Noy to be an immediate starter when they selected him in the second round of the 2014 draft.

But they've had to wait. And wait. And wait some more.

Finally, though, there are some signs that the wait could be nearing a close.

Van Noy has earned first-team reps at strong side linebacker during both of the OTA practices that were open to the media. And this certainly doesn't seem like a case of just throwing a guy out there to check his temperature.

"Much better," defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. "Kyle's doing much better."

It starts with his body, which is as fit as it's ever been in his two-plus years with the club.

"When he came back, he's in better shape than he's ever been -- body fat percentage, strength levels, all of those kinds of things," coach Jim Caldwell said. "During our time off, he didn't take time off it appears, looking at his numbers. He just went right to work, and I think you can see a difference out there.

"He's moving along extremely well. He's playing the position a lot better. So he's making good progress."

But for Van Noy, who is now listed at 6-foot-3 and 248 pounds, his inability to get on the field has been about his mind as much as it has been about his body.

He began his career with a tough break, suffering a sports hernia during his rookie training camp. He wound up on short-term injured reserve, which meant he not only would miss at least half the season, but couldn't practice either.

That was a huge blow for a guy who not only had to make the customarily difficult transition from college to pro ball, but basically had to learn a different position as well. He often played with his hand down at BYU, while the Lions want him upright in their 4-3 scheme.

By the time Van Noy returned in Week 10, he was too far behind -- too lost -- to contribute meaningfully on defense. Last year wasn't much better, playing just 7.6 percent of Detroit's defensive snaps.

But Van Noy apparently is starting to come around to the scheme this offseason, and is being rewarded for it with the first-team snaps -- valuable practice time for a guy who is still trying to figure things out.

"I think what he's doing is, now he's a little bit more familiar with playing off the ball, where his eyes should be, what he should be seeing all the time," Austin said. "That's why I think he's made some strides."

And that means Van Noy is in better position to make plays.

"He's in much better position now than he was last year, in terms of once the ball's snapped," Austin said. "So I think that's good. Again, we'll see how he does in the preseason, but right now I'm pleased with where his development is."

-- Download the Detroit Lions MLive app for iPhone and Android

-- Follow MLive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram