The Detroit Lions' defense struggled to stay afloat in 2025 under first-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard. Entering year two, Sheppard is aiming much higher -- and he's using the league's best from last season as inspiration.
Speaking on FOX 2 Detroit's "The Sports Office," Sheppard dismissed the notion of not being "worried about other people" in the league and what they're doing, revealing that he has studied the top five defenses in the league from last season.
"There are things I looked at. I looked at Seattle, I looked at Houston, I looked at Jacksonville. A lot of these teams that ranked high, whether that be turnover category, total defense, or whatever, but limiting points is the goal here. And what did they do? And if something that’s applicable to us was there, we applied it. I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t kind of pick and prod in some things that felt like what we do within our core principles. We applied it, and I think it’s going to make us better."
In 2025, the Lions found themselves in the bottom half of the league in most defensive categories, including points per game (22nd), yards per game (18th), and passing yards per game (20th). To their credit, they were in the top half in rushing yards per game, but barely at 14th.
Much of that can be attributed to the staggering list of injuries, particularly in the secondary. Sheppard did a solid job with what he had to work with, with the occasional dominant performance leading to the Lions' "no name" defense being dubbed the "Legion of Whom" -- a nickname Sheppard invoked when recalling the win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that inspired it.
Performances like those helped garner Sheppard head coaching looks this offseason, particularly with the Miami Dolphins, where he was allegedly the runner-up.
At the same time, Sheppard had his rookie moments throughout his first season as DC. His overreliance on the 4-3 base defense was exploitable, leading teams to find success on early downs. The Lions also saw a drop in third- and fourth-down defense from 2024, falling to ninth in opponent third-down conversion percentage (from first in 2024) and 25th on fourth down (from fourth).
Again, injuries were a factor, and that may have contributed to the lack of versatility and wrinkles that could've better kept opposing offenses on their toes. Between studying top defenses and the free agency moves the Lions made, Sheppard hopes that won't be an issue in 2026.
Will the Lions use the nickel defense more?
One shift fans may see in Sheppard's modified scheme is greater use of the nickel defense, where one of the three linebackers or four defensive linemen in a standard 4-3 defense is replaced with a fifth defensive back to improve coverage. It was a formation that the Seattle Seahawks excelled in en route to their dominant Super Bowl championship last season.
It's easy to see why Sheppard and the Lions were hesitant to employ nickel more. They didn't have the secondary personnel thanks to injuries and had a reliable trio of LBs in Jack Campbell, Alex Anzalone, and Derrick Barnes.
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Both Anzalone and nickel cornerback Amik Robertson are now gone, and replaced with Roger McCreary, Christian Izien, and rookies Keith Abney II and Jimmy Rolder. The first three could all see significant time in the nickel role, while Rolder, a LB, could provide the flexibility for Barnes to shift over to Anzalone's more coverage Will role if need be.
Rolder has already been "turning heads" during OTAs as he attempts to supplant Malcolm Rodriguez on the depth chart. As for nickel CB, Sheppard already likes what he sees, saying, "It’s a lot of guys that’s in flux, but a guy that’s kind of popped to me early, Roger McCreary has come in and done a great job."
There are still plenty of understandable concerns about Sheppard's defense going into year two, but it's at least encouraging to see a willingness to evolve, learn from the best, and to see the team acquire players that fit that evolution. Just have to hope the defense can remain healthy.
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