Danny Kelly of The Ringer recently identified the most underrated units in the NFL and the Detroit Lions defensive line landed on the list. What a difference a year makes.
At this time last year, the Lions had massive concerns surrounding their defensive line. Ezekiel Ansah’s injuries were a major worry (rightfully so), Sly Williams (who was a mid-season cut) was supposed to be the anchor at nose tackle, A’Shawn Robinson hadn’t taken the next step in his development and not many believed in the fourth-round rookie Da’Shawn Hand.
When the season began, Hand proved he was being slept on, then came Robinson’s leap in production, followed by Romeo Okwara’s surprise rise in contributions. But the line saw the most dramatic shift when the Lions made a mid-season acquisition for Damon Harrison, who completely altered the units impactfulness.
Despite their success in 2018, the Lions weren’t satisfied and made arguably one of the biggest moves in free agency.
“Former Patriots pass rusher Trey Flowers was Detroit’s big-ticket offseason signing and could end up being the capstone piece of an underrated, talented defensive front,” Kelly said. “Flowers, along with fourth-round rookie defensive end Austin Bryant, joins an ascending core featuring Da’Shawn Hand, A’Shawn Robinson, Damon Harrison, and Romeo Okwara.”
“The Lions already boast a strong run defense, but the addition of Flowers—who tied for 10th among all edge defenders last year in pressures, per Pro Football Focus, with 64—could really augment their anemic pass rush. The continued development of a couple of young standouts in Hand and Okwara could boost that group, too: 6-foot-3, 297-pound Hand showed a lot of promise in his first season (he racked up 25 quarterback pressures, fourth among all rookie interior lineman) and 23-year-old Okwara (who grabbed 7.5 sacks in 2018) is an ascendant talent who signed a two-year extension over the offseason. We might be sleeping on just how good this Lions front could be in 2019.”
The Lions will be hoping the rest of the league is sleeping on them, but as stacked as this front currently is, that sleep likely won’t last long.
