Detroit Lions: Could this undrafted rookie fill their interior need?
The Detroit Lions are needing diverse players for their new defensive scheme. Did they find a perfect fit for their D-line in an undrafted rookie free agent?
The Detroit Lions figure to be a drastically different team defensively in 2018. And that’s due to the hiring of former New England Patroits’ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as the Lions’ newest head coach earlier this year.
Last season, the Lions defense ranked 27th overall in the NFL. Their passing defense (27th) allowed 243 yards per game through the air, while Detroit’s run defense (18th) allowed 112.5 yards on the ground every contest.
At the helm of the Patroits’ defense, Patricia’s defensive unit in New England didn’t fare any better. The Pats ranked a lowly 29th in overall defense in the league. They ranked 30th against the pass and 20th against the run. All of which was worse than the previous regime in the Motor City.
But the difference is in the standings. Detroit ended the season with a 9-7 record, just missing the postseason. The Patroits posted a 13-3 record in 2017, went undefeated in the playoffs and went to the Super Bowl for the second-year in a row, ultimately losing to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Patricia was also able to field a Super Bowl-level defense with players like former Lions’ linebacker Kyle Van Noy and relative unknowns in defensive end Trey Flowers, linebacker Elandon Roberts and safety Duron Harmon all playing significant snaps.
In Detroit, the 43-year old first time head coach figures to have much better personnel to work with. Defenders like Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, pass rusher Ziggy Ansah and last year’s first round pick, linebacker Jarrad Davis.
But the Lions figured to be much more active when it came to finding additional defenders to fit Patricia’s dynamic defensive scheme, which alternates between a 4-3 and 3-4.
For the interior of the defensive line, that meant finding tackles who can rush the quarterback as a three technique in the 4-3, and move outside as a defensive end in the 3-4. The Lions used just one draft pick on such a player, that being Alabama’s Da’Shawn Hand, a fourth round selection.
But Detroit also needed a stout one-technique defensive tackle, someone who could stuff the run but also had some pass rushing abilities. According to one writer, the Lions might have found themselves a perfect fit for that role in an undrafted rookie free agent signee, USC’s Josh Fatu.
"“The Detroit Lions are searching for a different type of lineman as the defense transitions under new head coach Matt Patricia,” wrote Brent Sobleski for Bleacher Report. “The 6’2″, 315-pound Josh Fatu took over as USC’s starting 1-technique as a senior and become the team’s primary run defender. Fatu may be known for his ability to slow opposing ground games, but he also collapsed the pocket with six sacks last season.”"
Basically a refrigerator with arms, Fatu emerged last season as a reliable over tackle for the Trojans after being a primary backup the year before. During his senior season, he racked up a respectable 34 total tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and a whopping 6.0 sacks.
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When the Detroit Lions lost veteran defensive tackle Haloti Ngata in Week Five to a bicep injury last season, the Lions run defense was never quite the same. In Josh Fatu, Detroit might have stumbled across a player who is capable of clogging up those interior rushing lanes while also being a disruptive force as a pass rusher.