Allen Park — This Detroit Lions defense looks a lot different than the old Detroit Lions defense.
And while some key free-agent signings have a lot to do with that, the strength of the team’s unit lies below the surface. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said Friday the unit has “tremendous” depth.
“Defensively, we…wanted to improve our personnel on defense, which we did, but also we had other players that were either in a development stage or in a medical-related stage that really came alive this camp,” Holmes said.
“So ultimately, it really left us with tremendous depth on the defensive side of the ball and obviously, I’m sure you’ve all seen the numbers, it’s pretty heavy over there. But with that kind of depth on the defensive side of ball, I do believe that that’s how you put yourself in best position to sustain over the long haul during the course of the season.”
In the initial 53-man roster released Tuesday, the Lions kept extra players at nearly every level of the defense. Detroit held on to five defensive tackles, six off-ball linebackers, seven edge rushers, six corners and five safeties. And at each one of those positions, the Lions feel like there will be someone coming off the bench who could start elsewhere.
It’s a unique position for a team that had zero depth to speak of at the start of last season, particularly up front, where health and development have finally started to mesh for a defensive line that has the potential to be dangerous next season.
“Everything starts with the front,” defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “Everything starts with those big guys. … Those guys are physical, strong. They play exactly the way I want those guys to play and that’s the one thing that, in training camp, we did a really good job of, of just going out there and being physical and being violent and just trying to control the front in totality. And those guys did a good job of that.”
Still, it’s not just the depth that gets Glenn excited about his defense this season. It’s the ability to move those pieces around to create something the Lions haven’t been able to show in years past.
“Personnel-wise, we have some different pieces that allows us to do different things,” Glenn said. “We have a lot of versatility in who we’ve got. We’ve got players who’ve grown…you want to put guys in certain spots to be successful. And we as a staff know exactly what our guys can do. The thing is what their guys can do, and then being able to find the right matchups to put those guys in good positions.”
The Lions will need every bit of their defensive depth and versatility to keep up with MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes and the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs in the season opener at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
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