Analyst puts spotlight on Marcus Davenport heading into critical season for him

The Detroit Lions' issues putting heat on quarterbacks from the edge spot opposite Aidan Hutchinson last season are well-documented enough to not be worthy of a full rehashing anymore. A question might be if they've done enough to address the problem this offseason, with the signing of Marcus Davenport as the most prominent move.

Head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn know him from the start of his career with the New Orleans Saints, so Detroit looks like an ideal spot for Davenport to rebound after a couple down years in a row. Last season, he played just four games with the Minnesota Vikings due to an ankle injury. Over the last two seasons, he has just 2.5 sacks over 19 games played.

On his third team in as many years, the coming season is a big one for Davenport. Another season wiped out significantly by injury, or where he's simply ineffective, and it's not a stretch to say his career will be on ropes.

CBS analyst puts spotlight on Marcus Davenport

Davenport's injury history is a legit concern that can't be ignored, to the point the Lions having some eye on adding another veteran edge rusher as insurance can't be ruled out. If nothing else, the range of outcomes for him this year is wide and the Lions might be foolish to pin any real expectations on him.

There are some optimistic views of what Davenport could do this year. Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus tabbed him as a bounce-back candidate, referring to what he did prior to last season and a robust overall PFF grade (88.8) in 2021.

Zachary Pareles of CBS Sports has Davenport on his list of 50 under the radar players who could shape the 2024 season.

"Davenport is the lone repeat selection from last year. After a nine-sack 2021, he had just a half-sack in 2022 and left New Orleans for Minnesota. In Minnesota, he had a sack in two of his first three games ... and then suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The Lions are his third team in as many years. Third time's the charm?"

If he can stay healthy, Davenport is capable of being a force opposite Hutchinson. Of course health is the big question, but there's no doubt about the spotlight that's on the former first-round pick to perform like he has previously shown he can this year.