Detroit Lions defense: Talent upgrade means they won't be a pushover anymore
The Detroit Lions open the NFL regular season Thursday night at the Kansas City Chiefs. Here are three storylines on defense that will define the Lions' 2023 season.
How much better will Lions defense be?
The Lions had an elite offense last season but ranked last in the NFL in total defense and tied for 28th in points allowed. They showed significant improvement defensively in the second half of last season, and I expect those strides to carry over.
The Lions are much deeper defensively than they have been in years past, with legitimate NFL-caliber starters (Tracy Walker, Emmanuel Moseley, Jack Campbell) opening the season in backup roles. They played five rookies significant snaps on defense last season, all of whom should be improved this year. And they’ve upgraded their personnel to allow defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to be more creative and aggressive with his scheme.
When the Lions were in the dumps defensively last year, they struggled to get to the quarterback and create turnovers. Then they had 16 takeaways in their final 10 games and multiple sacks in seven of their final eight wins. I doubt the Lions will make the leap to top-10 defense in one year, but they should be middle-of-the-pack.
How many sacks will Aidan Hutchinson have?
Eleven.
Hutchinson led all NFL rookies with 9.5 sacks last season, when he finished runner-up to Sauce Gardner for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He had big games against all three division opponents down the stretch and looks poised for an even better 2023.
As good as Hutchinson has been this summer, I don’t think he’s in the Myles Garrett/Nick Bosa tier of pass rusher. Hutchinson was double-teamed more than anyone but Garrett last season, according to ESPN, and that number should go down now that he’s surrounded by a better cast.
But he also had a lower pass rush win rate than many of peers, according to ESPN, and needs to be more consistent overall; 6.5 of his sacks came in three games. I think Hutchinson leads the Lions in sacks and builds on his strong play against the run, but I don’t think his numbers skyrocket in Year 2.
THE WORD: If Lions do make the leap, Aaron Glenn knows his defense must set the tempo
Where will C.J. Gardner-Johnson make his biggest impact on the secondary?
The Lions will open the season with three new starters in their secondary, and Gardner-Johnson, the reigning NFL interception co-leader, is the best of the bunch.
Gardner-Johnson excelled as a slot cornerback with the New Orleans Saints in 2019-21, then took his play to another level last year with the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles. He signed a one-year free agent deal this spring, and his confidence and brash demeanor have rubbed off on the defense.
The Lions initially planned to keep Gardner-Johnson in the slot role he had so much success in, in New Orleans, but moved him to safety after rookie Brian Branch forced his way into the starting lineup. As versatile as he is, Gardner-Johnson should be a chess piece for Glenn, capable of lining up in the slot, the deep post or playing in the box. He’s a ball magnet who showed his range as a pass defender in camp this summer, but I think his biggest contributions simply will be the way he carries himself on the field. He’s vocal, unafraid to tell opponents (or teammates) what they’re doing wrong, and he has injected a healthy dose of self-belief in the group.
3 newcomers to watch
DB Brian Branch: Gardner-Johnson said Branch is “better than me” already, and while that might be a stretch, the rookie has looked incredibly impressive in his four months. Branch, a second-round pick out of Alabama, won the starting slot cornerback job with his heady play and productivity. He was always around the ball in camp, he’s a capable blitzer, and if the Lions want to use him in the role, he might be their best gunner on special teams. Branch slid in April’s draft because he’s not an athletic freak with a blazing fast 40-yard dash time, but he’s smart and instinctive, and a key part of the defense this year.
CB Emmanuel Moseley: One of three free agents the Lions signed to upgrade their secondary along with Gardner-Johnson and Cam Sutton. He was expected to start at one cornerback spot but missed all of training camp while recovering from a second procedure on his surgically repaired knee. Moseley practiced with the Lions for the first time last week, and at a minimum should be a valuable depth piece at outside cornerback. Has ground to make up for all the time missed, but is a physical press-man corner who fits snugly into Glenn’s idea of what a defensive back should be.
DL Levi Onwuzurike: He isn’t technically a newcomer, but it feels like it after he missed all of last season and was slowed his rookie year by a back injury. Healthy for the first time in his NFL career, the 2021 second-round pick flashed as a pass rusher this summer and is ticketed for a role at defensive tackle to open the season. Look for him to play alongside Alim McNeill in some packages. If Onwuzurike can stay healthy, the deep defensive line will be even more formidable.
Depth chart
Defense
DE John Cominsky, Josh Paschal
DT Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Romeo Okwara
OLB Charles Harris, James Houston
ILB Alex Anzalone, Malcolm Rodriguez
ILB Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell
CB Cam Sutton, Steven Gilmore
CB Jerry Jacobs, Emmanuel Moseley
SCB Brian Branch, Will Harris
S Kerby Joseph, Tracy Walker
S C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Ifeatu Melifonwu
Special teams
P Jack Fox
LS Scott Daly
KR Jahmyr Gibbs, Craig Reynolds
PR Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions defense: New talent and depth better bring improvement
