The Legion of Whom that the Detroit Lions were forced to deploy this past season cannot be replicated for two seasons in a row.
Obviously, injuries marred them throughout the year, with Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, and Terrion Arnold all impacting how Kelvin Sheppard could actually utilize his defense. But, it just didn't feel like they went away from those structures put in place by Sheppard and the defensive staff, leading to a ton of bigger plays let up in the air, and some questionable run defense down the stretch.
One Lions writer, Vito Chirco, recently proposed an interesting solution to that issue: moving away from being such a 4-3 base defense-heavy unit, and one that uses more variety in its coverages.
Lions writer suggests one key change to defense in 2026
Chirco argues in his piece that Sheppard's reliance on the 4-3 base defense - three linebackers and four defensive linemen - left the Lions vulnerable to better passing offenses. The numbers back this argument up, with the team going from one of the most stalwart by allowing the 7th-least number of points per game to allowing a 22nd-most points per game in 2025.
"Instead of asking traditional linebackers to survive in space, the Lions should prioritize finding a true impact nickel corner. This is a defender Sheppard’s unit could deploy as a hybrid piece, allowing nickel to replace the 4-3 as the base scheme. The top defenses around the league already have units designed in this fashion, too," wrote Chirco of the proposed change.
READ MORE: One player the Lions can’t afford to overpay in free agency
Detroit has pretty limited cap space to work with to land a Kyle Hamilton-type this offseason. The draft offers some interesting options, such as Jadon Canady as a later draft pick or even Dillon Thieneman as a potential first round pick (or, an early second rounder if the team can manage to get higher in the order). Although, the priority for the Lions likely leans towards their offensive line in the first round.
Injuries to Joseph and Branch are likely to linger into 2026, which is a huge problem for Sheppard if Detroit doesn't look to add similar talent at safety this offseason. A nickel corner can also mask some of those issues. Detroit might have to consider spending some draft capital in order to land a proper on the field, temporary replacement for Branch and Joseph, or risk leaving Sheppard in the lurch.