Three years ago, Kyle Van Noy’s career appeared to be at a crossroads. A former second-round draft pick by the Detroit Lions, he failed to live up to the natural expectations coming with his draft status. Van Noy had appeared in 23 games over his first two seasons in the NFL, but his impact on the Lions was minimal: he had registered only thirteen tackles and a single sack, while playing just 6% of snaps on Detroit’s defensive snaps.
Van Noy simply could not earn the trust of head coach Jim Caldwell and a defensive staff led by coordinator Teryl Austin.