He’s trusting his eyes and he’s in really good shape right now. – Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, on Kyle Van Noy
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy is still looking for that same kind of magic at the NFL level that he produced during his career at BYU.
Heading into his third pro season, it sounds like Van Noy is off to a strong start, as his Detroit Lions coaches have taken notice of the talented linebacker's progress during organized team activities.
"He’s in phenomenal shape, running around. He’s in much better position now than he was last year, in terms of once the ball’s snapped, so I think that’s good," Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said during team press availability Thursday at OTAs. "Again, we’ll see how he does in the preseason, but right now I’m pleased with where his development is.”
Through his first two NFL seasons, Van Noy has amassed 16 tackles and one sack. After missing the first half of his rookie season with an injury, he didn't see a big increase in play last year. Only four times did Van Noy play more than 10 snaps on defense in 2015, with a high of 14, and four times he never logged a snap on defense and was inactive for another game.
It's a far cry from his Cougar career, when Van Noy proved to be disruptive with 226 tackles, 26 sacks, seven interceptions, 11 forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries. He used that success to become a second-round draft pick by Detroit in 2014.
But things are becoming clearer on the field for the former BYU star.
"He’s trusting his eyes and he’s in really good shape right now,” Austin said.
The offseason production is capturing the attention of Detroit head coach Jim Caldwell as well.
"He’s in better shape than he’s ever been, body fat percentage, strength levels, all of those kinds of things. During our time off, he didn’t take time off it appears, looking at his numbers," Caldwell said during the team press availabilities. "He just went right to work and I think you can see a difference out there that he's moving along extremely well. He’s playing the position a lot better, so he’s making good progress.”
Van Noy is getting plenty of first-team reps alongside veterans DeAndre Levy and Tahir Whitehead during OTAs, including on Thursday, according to The Oakland Press. It's giving Van Noy the chance to prove he belongs in a more prominent role, instead of mainly playing on special teams.
"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. That’s why I think he’s made some strides,” Austin said.
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