The Detroit Lions are still trying to find all the parts of a good defense, and here are four moves they must make in a revamp of the unit this offseason.
While the Lions boasted an offense that was among the best in the league this season, their defense was among the worst. Aaron Glenn’s unit was noticeably better in the latter part of the season, but they still ranked as the third-worst-scoring defense in the league. Additionally, the defense gave up most total yards to opposing offenses.
If the Lions want to be true contenders in 2023, they must address some issues on the defensive side of the ball. In order to fix these issues, let’s look at what exactly went wrong this season.
When you give up the third-most points per game and the most yards per game, that means you have a lot of work to do at all three levels of the defense. And this is certainly the case for the Lions. They gave up the third-most passing yards (245.8 per game), and the fourth-most rushing yards per game (146.5 per contest). They were middle of the pack when it came to takeaways (17th), sacks (18th), and interceptions (19th). These statistics point to needs all over the field for this defense.
Let’s look at four moves that will revamp the Lions defense into one befitting a contending team.
4 moves for the Detrot Lions to revamp their defense this offseason
1. Draft Tyree Wilson and Christian Gonzalez
The Lions have added some notable talent in the last two drafts under general manager Brad Holmes. They have two first-round picks again this year, so there’s another nice opportunity coming to add top-end young talent
Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson would be a nice addition to go with Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions got some help toward the end of the season, as James Houston turning into a sack machine (eight in seven games). But you can never have too many capable edge rushers, and more pressure will make it easier on the secondary, Wilson is raw, but he has all the physical tools needed to be a star at the next level. Pro Football Focus credited him with 50 quarterback pressures this past season.
With their second pick in the first round, the Lions should have Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez on their radar if he’s still on the board. He had four interceptions and six pass breakups this past season. He has ideal physical traits for the cornerback position, and the Lions need help at that spot, perhaps more than anything else this offseason.
2. Sign linebacker Lavonte David
The Lions are in the top half of the league in cap space right now, and can create a lot more if they get creative. Their first move should be to sign David, who has played his entire career in Tampa Bay but will now be a free agent. He has been the leader of Buccaneers” defense awhile, and would provide the same for the Lions to go with his high level of production. that He would be a much-needed veteran presence who is still among the league’s elite at the position.
3. Sign safety Vonn Bell
The second free agent signing for the Lions defense should be Bell, who has played for the Cincinnati Bengals for the past three seasons and was worth every penny of the contract they gave him. Kerby Joseph looks like a keeper for the Lions at safety, but DeShon Elliott is a free agent and Tracy Walker’s status for the start of next season is a question mark as he works his way back from a torn Achilles.
Pairing Joseph with Bell would give the Lions a mix of youth and experience to help secure the back end of the defense. Bell is known for being good against tight ends, and the Lions were a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to giving up yards to tight ends this season (17th).
Bell got $6 million per year on his last deal, and he may command a little more this offseason. But with Joseph on a rookie contract, the Lions could afford to give him that raise.
4. Sign defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones
The last piece of this puzzle would be to sign defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones. He is not a name many people know as he did not get a lot of attention nationally, but he was a terror on the inside for the Broncos before injuring his hip in Week 14 this season. He was top five in pressures among defensive tackles, and he also had 6.5 sacks in his 13 games.
The Lions have Alim McNeill as a emerging player on the inside, but adding Jones to the defensive line would look pretty good
The defense came along strongly toward the end of the season, and not coincidentally the Lions won a lot of games. With these four moves, the difference between being in the playoff hunt and becoming a true top contender could be filled.