The Defensive Line Goes Unanswered In Free Agency

Is Brad Holmes Going To Address The Defensive Front?

Back in December 2022, I began evaluating the most glaring needs for the Lions based on the 2022 season’s performance. Defensive tackle & defensive back stuck out like a sore thumb, with the linebackers needing at least one upgrade. We will dive into the what happened and who may be responsible. Then, what needs to happen to fix the poor defensive performance of 2022, into a top performer in 2023.

Lions Missing A High Draft Pick Doesn’t Help

One of the contributing factors was the lack of Levi Onwuzurike playing a single down in 2022. The Lions spent a 2nd round pick, #41 overall in the 2021 draft on Levi. Levi was known to have a back injury history at Washington and was considered a huge reach in the 2nd round given the nature of the injury. At the 1st padded practice of 2022, Levi aggravated the back injury and was out for the season. Levi is still rehabbing the injury, and for the Lions to have confidence before the draft, they will have to see something out of Levi.

The Lions were left with Alim McNeill, Michael Brockers, Demetrius Taylor, Isaiah Buggs and Benito Jones.

Michael Brockers was supposed to be the veteran leader anchoring this defense with Romeo Okwara at DE, that never came to fruition. Brockers was a healthy scratch most of the season, only appearing in six games and released this offseason. Okwara was injured nearly the entire season, only appearing in 5 games with little to no production. There is no shame on Holmes here, as this was a Bob Quinn hiring and one that carried a hefty price tag and dead cap hit that made it tough to cut or trade away Okwara prior to the 2022 season.

The Lions expected to have both 2nd year players developed and on the field in 2022. Alim McNeill, a 3rd round pick from the 2021 draft, was expected to have a breakout season in 2022 after a complete off season of training. McNeill was lackluster at best with glimpses of playmaking ability against the run, but his lack of agility and strength at the position were evident from the results. Alim posted a 59.8 PFF grade against the run, 41.9 tackling and a 70.7 against the pass.

Isaiah Buggs was a bright spot at times, but he is not the dominant tackle the Lions need to anchor the defensive front. Appearing in 15 games in 2022, Buggs seemed to struggle quite a bit. Posting a 47 PFF grade against the run and 66.8 against the pass. Overall, his PFF grade was 53.9 which begs the question as to why he was brought back. Buggs did seem to build a nice chemistry as the season progressed and one would assume that is what Holmes is banking on in 2023.  Buggs is entering his 4th season in the NFL as a 6th round pick out of Alabama.

Demetrius Taylor is a rotational depth piece added through the UDFA market in 2022. Only appearing in 1 game with 13 snaps in 2022. Taylor hails from Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. Not much to say here other than Taylor is not the answer or even a role player on this defensive front. He is a warm body in camp at this point and not expected to be on the team come August 29th, 2023. Sorry big fella, but the Lions will be drafting an answer to the biggest question mark on this team by the 3rd round.

Benito Jones was added to the team in August 2022 after cuts were made by the Dolphins. Posting a run defense grade of 46.3 and a pass defense grade of 65.1, his overall performance netted a 53.3 grade for the season. Jones appeared in all 17 games as a rotational player, only seeing 378 snaps. Should Jones come back to the Lions this off season, I would expect the Lions to still address this position with at least 1 if not 2 selections in the draft. Holmes is all about upgrades and for me its simple, that they squeeze out the bottom 2 on the depth chart here.

The Lions have one of the most unflattering Defensive line units entering the league in 2023. The unit is ranked toward the bottom in all statistical categories. Taylor being the worst rated at 29.6 overall. Jones & Buggs coming in at the 24th & 25th worst rated defensive players on the team hovering in the low 50’s. McNeill finished the season as the 6th best rated member on the Lions defense with an overall grade of 69.8 PFF.

What needs to happen?

In my opinion, the Lions need to target at least two (2) more defensive tackles. Addressing this position in the draft would be smart for a few reasons but notably the salary cap and length of contracts. The Lions may want to consider trading back here in the 1st round to acquire some capital in the 3rd & 4th rounds. The real meat of this draft is between pick 25 – 45,and If the Lions value Mazi Smith, they should be looking to trade back staying between pick 25-32.

There are some solid playmakers with value in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Kobie Turner, Gervon Dexter and Derrick Hall, would all be great additions to this defensive front. After the draft potential upgrades may be available when cuts begin to happen between the draft and August 29th.

Who Fits?

Everyone knows by now that Dan & Brad have a very simple but tough philosophy. They want guys that pass the test on high individual character and football character. If you can pass the fit into the culture, the next biggest trait the ability to play the game at a high level with versatility and durability keeping your reliability on the field. Holmes said he wants to add at least two (2) impact players in this draft. My projection here is that the Lions will target and add a playmaker on both sides of the ball early. The draft is light at defensive tackle and with the issues surrounding a few names, the Lions may find themselves stacking up on perceived positions of strength.