The Detroit Lions had the challenge of replacing two coordinators last season, and the struggle of adjusting to that may have cost them dearly as the season dragged on.
Perhaps more than any injury issues, getting two new coaches on the same page with players slowed down the progression of the year. Offensively, this doomed the Lions, and John Morton was replaced mid-season by Dan Campbell. Defensively, a different story played out.
Kelvin Sheppard did a solid job to keep the Lions on track in spite of the fact that he was dealing with major injury concerns at all three levels. The Detroit defense was a net positive most of the season, and Sheppard is seen as a rising star in the coaching profession as a result.
Entering 2026, most expect the Lions to take a leap. If that is the case, Sheppard will be a big reason why. The NFL sees what kind of coach and leader he is behind the scenes, and as a result, he figures to be on plenty of short lists heading into next offseason.
The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue recently put together a look at every team's assistant coach who could break out in 2026. Sheppard was the east answer for Detroit, and it's clear the league already sees a viable head coaching candidate in the defensive coordinator.
"At league meetings in the spring, Sheppard was among the assistant coaches drawing buzz among head coaches and general managers. His energy, apparent buy-in from players and increased experience in the role in his second season have both Sheppard and the Lions’ defense set up well for a bounce-back 2026."
There will be numerous questions for Sheppard to answer in 2026. Chief amongst them is whether he can navigate trouble in the defensive backfield. The Lions will start the season with each of their starting safeties on the PUP list. Additionally, the franchise released Terrion Arnold, one of their top cornerbacks, after an offseason of trouble.
Should Sheppard be able to solve those problems along with replacing linebacker Alex Anzalone and finding an acceptable edge running mate for Aidan Hutchinson, it should allow the Lions to be very successful and enjoy a rebound season. If the franchise goes on to have playoff success, Sheppard could find himself atop plenty of team's wishlists in January.
Sheppard sounding more confident with another year under his belt
While it might seem like a negative to some, Sheppard becoming a hot commodity would be big news for the Lions. It would likely mean the franchise was back to their winning ways just like in previous seasons where Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn got coaching looks after the franchise enjoyed success.
In terms of Sheppard, he is already sounding the part of a changed man. Having seen plenty in his first season, he now believes he has the confidence to tackle any scenario that comes up given the experience he gained last season.
"I think that's just human nature. When you have more time on task with something, as I say, hopefully you're not going backwards, you're going forward in life. I told the players that's why we practice. Repetition. It becomes muscle memory. Now I've gone through a season where I've had to adapt (and) I've had to adjust. I saw where things should have went one way and it didn't go that way. Well, why? Identifying that. So now the next time that exact same circumstance comes up, oh yeah, we talked about that last year. This what we're going to do. This how we're going to attack that. Just having answers."
Sheppard hopes to have plenty of answers for the Lions this year, and one of the bigger x-factors for the franchise remains their defense. If it's a breakout season for that group and for Sheppard, the Lions might have to get creative in terms of finding another up and coming defensive coordinator.
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