All the talk concerning the Detroit Lions defensive line has been about one player. But this unit is chock-full of talent and question marks beyond Ziggy Ansah.
The Detroit Lions defensive line has been one of the more talked about positional groups early this offseason. And much of that talk is concerning the future of Ziggy Ansah in Detroit. But this talented D-Line is brimming with young, untapped talent. And it also has some major issues that will need to be addressed this offseason.
Let’s review this current roster of defensive lineman in Detroit, take a look at their upcoming free agent class, and attempt to determine what’s in store for this positional group in 2018.
Defensive Line
Roster
Anthony Zettel, DE
Cornelius Washington, DE
Alex Barrett, DE
Cam Johnson, DE
Jeremiah Valoaga, DE
A’Shawn Robinson, DT
Akeem Spence, DT
Jeremiah Ledbetter, DT
Toby Johnson, DT
Free Agents
Haloti Ngata, DT
Ezekiel Ansah, DE
Jordan Hill, DT
Dwight Freeney, DE
Kerry Hyder, DE (ERFA)
Christian Ringo, DT (ERFA)
Rodney Coe, DT (ERFA)
Analysis
Well, first and foremost, expect this defensive line to shake things up in 2018 with the expected addition of former New England Patroits’ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as the Lions’ new head coach. Patricia is known for running several different defensive schemes within a game, and he’ll need the personnel to do so.
But the first order of business for Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn is to decide if they want to re-sign defensive end Ziggy Ansah or not. Secondly, if Haloti Ngata doesn’t return to the Motor City, defensive tackle becomes a priority this offseason. Although you’d hope former second round pick A’Shawn Robinson would step up to fill that void, he failed to do so last season.
Next: Lions 2018 draft - 4 first round defensive prospects
Detroit’s defensive line does possess some great young talent that Patricia should be able to build upon. Both Kerry Hyder and Anthony Zettel have proven they can carry the load as pass rushers. If the Lions opt to move on from Ansah this offseason, either could fill the void. But as the old saying goes, you can never have enough pass rushers. Expect a few to be added to the roster this offseason regardless.