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The good news for the Detroit Lions keeps coming. Not only did they notch a Chicago Bears win, but they have more to celebrate.
The Detroit Lions struggled to establish a consistent pass rush after star Aidan Hutchinson went down with a fractured leg in October, with no other player able to fill the void.
The Lions could try to solve that problem in the offseason, with one outlet predicting the team will add a defensive end who showed off his skills in a “monster” college season. Though the Lions have tried to add a consistent counterpart to Hutchinson since he joined the team as a first-round draft pick in 2022, their efforts have failed to produce anyone who can consistently generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Lions Grab First-Team All-SEC Star in Mock Draft
Fox Sports predicted the Lions would use their No. 28 overall pick on Texas A&M defensive end Nic Sourton, who is coming off an all-conference season. The report noted that Scourton had a bit of a dip in production after transferring to the Aggies, but showed off his abilities at a previous college stop.
“Scourton had a monster season at Purdue in 2023, recording 10 sacks with 50 total tackles,” the report noted. “While his production decreased after transferring to the SEC, he still managed five sacks and finished as a First Team All-SEC selection and ended his collegiate career with 109 total tackles, 31 tackles for loss, 17 sacks and three forced fumbles. He’d be a great addition and impact player on a Lions defense that saw several injuries in the front seven last year.”
The Lions struggled on defense after Hutchison broke his leg in a win over the Dallas Cowboys. No other player came close to reaching his 7.5 sacks through the first five games of the season, with defensive lineman Za’Darius Smith finishing second on the team with 4.0 sacks and Alim McNeill adding 3.5. No other player had more than three sacks on the season.
The Lions saw their Super Bowl aspirations come crashing down in the playoffs in large part due to their defense, which gave up 45 points to the Washington Commanders in a divisional-round loss.
Lions Must Navigate Other Changes
The Lions will have some other major changes to navigate in the coming year, including the departure of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn to become the new head coach of the New York Jets.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell told reporters in January that he aims to keep a sense of continuity on defense, though said there could be some small changes along the way.
“No, I don’t see philosophy changing,” Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “No, I think what we are is what we are, and we’ve been that way since I’ve been here.
“So, does that mean a couple of things get tweaked? A couple of things will get tweaked, just the nature of new coordinators if that happens because you want it to be kind of their flavor, their style with it, but yet, what I want is what we’re going to do, and what we’re about and what (Jared) Goff’s about.”
The Lions were able to find their new defensive coordinator from within the staff, promoting linebackers coach Kelvin Sheppard to the role.
