Allen Park — For better or worse, this Detroit Lions season is about guys like Jerry Jacobs.
Thin on talent and heavy on youth, the first year of a multi-season rebuild is largely about the development of the roster, while hopefully unearthing some diamonds in the rough along the way.
That's exactly what Jacobs represents. He didn't come to Detroit with the pedigree or expectations of first-round picks Jeff Okudah or Penei Sewell, or even a mid-round selection with a clear path to playing time such as Amon-Ra St. Brown or Derrick Barnes.
No, as an undrafted rookie who took a winding, sometimes unnecessarily complicated road to this point, Jacobs was a scratch-off lottery ticket, with little risk and equally little expectation of netting the grand prize.