The Detroit Lions were one of the busiest teams in free agency this year. How did it change their biggest needs heading into the draft?
If I were an NFL general manager I would use free-agency as a tool to shore up as many needs as possible with proven talent … while using the draft to shoot for the moon on the high ceiling and best player available type prospects.
Now that the free-agency frenzy has come and gone with most of the big names and starting-caliber talent off the market. Let’s take a look and reset the Detroit Lions five biggest needs prior to the 2020 NFL Draft.
1) Defensive Tackle
Yes, still … last season the Lions only got four and a half sacks, six quarterbacks hits, and just 12 quarterback pressures from their interior defensive lineman.
Take out the Damon Harrison, A’Shawn Robinson, and Mike Daniels stats … who the Lions lost in free agency. You’re left with three pressures between John Atkins and Frank Herron. That was a Frank Herron.
Da’Shawn Hand will be back after only playing in three games in 2019. But with the injuries and lack of production the last we saw him … I’m not carrying the same hope as I did coming into 2019.
Adding Danny Shelton and Nick Williams in free-agency isn’t enough for me to drop DT out of the number one spot. The interior of the Lions defensive line was the biggest issue for the team in 2019, and while the two newcomers are good additions … they’re not world-beaters.
The Lions must create pressure in 2020 to succeed and talent up the middle would go a long way to freeing up the money you invested in Trey Flowers and Jamie Collins or whoever else is coming off the edge. Last season, opposing offensive lines barely had to worry about Detroit’s interior and were able to double the edges.
2) Cornerback
While the Lions just signed one of the better cornerbacks in free-agency in Desmond Trufant, they also let go of a Pro-Bowl cornerback in Darius Slay. Which wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but they were already needing another starting cornerback.
As of right now, CB2 may be the only position left without a presumed starter on defense. I don’t think the Lions intend on it being Amani Oruwariye.
You could argue this is their biggest need, but I like Trufant, Justin Coleman, and Oruwariye a bit more than Shelton, Williams, and Hand on the inside of the line.
If you’re not getting pressure on the quarterback, it doesn’t matter who lines up on the outside because it will be another season free-pickings for any opposing quarterback anyway.
3) Offensive Guard
For a position the Lions like versatility and a rotation … they sure don’t have a lot of offensive guards worth noting.
After they let starting right guard Graham Glasgow walk in free agency, have yet to re-sign spot-starter, Kenny Wiggins. The Lions are left with Joe Dahl, Tyrell Crosby, Oday Aboushi, Beau Benzschawel, and practice squad talent at guard. That’s about one and a half starting-caliber guards in the NFL.
4) Wide Receiver
This is more a need to make sure they’re not hung out to dry next season as neither Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, or Danny Amendola are signed beyond 2020.
You would presume Golladay gets an extension this summer, but even then the Lions need a couple of starters by the end of next year’s draft. With the wide receiver draft class being so deep in 2020, I would expect at least one swing at potential starter in the middle-to-late rounds.
5) Punter
As boring as it is to read or write about … the Lions don’t have a punter. They have currently rostered but that’s not going to be the case for long.
Detroit didn’t re-sign career Lion Sam Martin after seven seasons of mostly above-average play. Minus one shank that cost the Lions a playoff victory in Dallas among other unfortunate events but I digress.