Detroit Lions: State of the franchise and your fandom
Detroit Lions building blocks
Defense
On the other side of the ball, there are fewer building blocks. This is partly due to the change in defensive schemes but also poor drafting over the last half-dozen years. The defense has not performed well against the run prior to the addition of Damon “Snacks” Harrison, a defensive tackle and run-stuffer. Harrison has a contract that is good through 2020, according to Spotrac.
In the secondary, Pro Bowler Darius Slay is a cornerback worth keeping. Instinctual and fast, Slay can match up with almost any receiver in the NFL; that is a rare commodity. Slay’s contract is good until 2020, too. At the age of 27, he is in his prime.
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Rookie defensive lineman, Da’Shawn Hand, has started his career off nicely and looks to be a starter into the future. The fourth-round pick out of Alabama has been one of the best in the NFL through 12 weeks.
Devon Kennard, 27, is another guy that’s been adequate and is under contract until 2020. His 6.0 sacks from his outside linebacker-edge position have been a quality free agent signing.
KCW believes that Bob Quinn will draft more edge players to eventually replace him but he’s a starter-caliber player.
Strong safety Quandre Diggs, age 25, has been good and is a capable starter with upside. His move to safety from cornerback has definitely helped the stability of the back end. Diggs’ tackling and physicality have been lauded by fans and puts him in safe territory for next year’s roster.
The jury is still out on A’Shawn Robinson, who is in his third year. Robinson has been good this year but is not consistent from week-to-week.
The same with Jarrad Davis, the middle linebacker has flashed big potential but also performed poorly at times; the Lions general manager, Bob Quinn, has got to be wondering if that was a first-round pick well spent. Davis’ 48.5 Pro Football Focus grade doesn’t indicate that he’s a franchise player.
There are young players at the bottom of the depth chart but none really seem like players that you can count on.