Is the Detroit Lions’ defensive line a top-five unit already? One PFF writer thinks so.
By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Jun 26, 2024, 9:31am EDT
PFF is continuing their offseason positional rankings series, and their latest may come as a pretty pleasant surprise for Detroit Lions fans. It wasn’t all that surprising when they ranked Detroit’s offensive line and running back groups among the top three, but on Tuesday, PFF’s Sam Monson declared that the Lions’ defensive line is among the top-five in the NFL, as well.
Per Monson, the Lions’ defensive line is only bested by the Jets, 49ers, and Eagles. Here’s why Monson ranked the Lions defensive line fourth overall:
“For a while, the Lions had Aidan Hutchinson and not much else along the defensive line. Now, they will deploy D.J. Reader and an improved Alim McNeill along with Marcus Davenport on his latest prove-it deal. This is unquestionably the best group the Lions have had around Hutchinson, who himself racked up 101 quarterback pressures last season on his way to a 91.2 PFF pass-rushing grade.”
It’s a pretty bold proclamation, as even many Lions fans believe Detroit could use some extra talent on their defensive front. While the Lions both have some veteran (Davenport) and young (Josh Paschal, James Houston, Mekhi Wingo) options for the edge rushing position opposite Hutchinson, all come with pretty big question marks. Can Davenport finally stay healthy for an entire season? Will Paschal make a Year 3 jump? Can Houston become more of a three-down player as opposed to a speed pass-rush specialist?
That said, the interior of the Lions’ defensive line may feature the best one-two combo in football with Alim McNeill and DJ Reader. Mind you, the Lions were already one of the best run defending teams in football last year—ranking fourth in rush EPA allowed and third in yards per carry allowed. But now with McNeill returning and Reader on board, the Lions should take a step forward when it comes to interior pass rush. Last season, both Reader (79.1, 15th) and McNeill (76.2, 22nd) ranked in the top 25 of PFF’s pass rushing grade.
Aside from adding Reader this offseason, the Lions also invested in coaching by hiring Terrell Williams. Coach Dan Campbell believes Williams is the best in the business.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in Terrell Williams as our D-Line coach, I think he really is—he’s the best D-Line coach in this league. And if he’s not, then you can argue what place he is,” Campbell said.
The Lions still have to obviously go out there and prove their defensive line is as good as their potential. But it’s clear as day that if everything goes right with the group, they could take a big jump in 2024. In case you were wondering, Detroit came in at 20th on this list last year.
Do you think they’ve made the jump to a top-five unit this offseason? Let us know by scrolling to the comment section at the bottom of this page.
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