While the Detroit Lions had pieces of a successful offense under head coach Matt Patricia, it was the defense that stood out for all the wrong reasons.
The defensive mastermind failed to master anything during his time as head coach, and when time came to rebuild, new general manager Brad Holmes had a lot of work to do to clean up the mess left by Patricia and Bob Quinn. The early stages of the rebuild meant gutting the poor fits and bringing in new fits for the scheme and culture under head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
Quinn had set the Lions so far behind that there were practically no pieces to work with. An elite pass rusher? How about an overpaid free agent bust. Defensive tackles? How about unathletic road blocks. The secondary? Good luck. The Lions had to live with some of the bad contracts, but it was mostly an overhaul of what did not work—which was, safe to say, a lot.
Note: For 2020 and 2021, only players that played over 100 snaps will be listed. For specialists, any kicker, punter, or long snapper with a recorded appearance will be listed. For 2025, only players viewed as “likely” to make the roster will be listed.
For the previous version on the Lions’ transformed offense, click here .
Defensive end
2020: Romeo Okwara, Trey Flowers, Everson Griffen, Austin Bryant
Under Patricia, the Lions valued contain over pressure, the fallout of which led to multiple low-sack seasons from their defensive ends. Okwara broke into double digits in 2020, however, one of only three Lions to even record more than one sack that year. The other names on that list were Flowers, who missed the second half of the season with a shoulder injury, and Griffen, a midseason trade acquisition. Coupled with a subpar defensive tackle group, it was simply a horrendous situation along the defensive line.
2021: Charles Harris, Austin Bryant, Julian Okwara, Trey Flowers, Romeo Okwara, Jessie Lemonier
A successful 2020 campaign made re-signing Romeo Okwara an easy decision, but it was one that ultimately failed. Okwara tore his Achilles in Week 4 and never truly recovered from it—he did play out his entire contract in Detroit, however. Flowers, once viewed as a prized free agent, had another dismal year in Detroit, culminating with a stint on the injured reserve and a release the following year. Harris had a breakout 2021 campaign, but he has not since replicated that success. Bryant and Julian Okwara were two former draft picks that never panned out despite ample opportunity.
2025: Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, Ahmed Hassanein, Al-Quadin Muhammad
What a difference an elite pass rusher makes. Hutchinson is coming off a serious leg injury, but the body of work that he recorded in just five games of the 2024 season was absurd. He will be paired with Davenport, a player that missed most of his first season in Detroit with a triceps injury—consider 2025 a redo, one the Lions are hoping pays off. A healthy Davenport would be a significant boon for the Lions, given that the depth is modest at best. Paschal has thus far been a fine rotational piece, but little more than that. Hassanein is an exciting prospect, but he is more project than game-ready. Muhammad, meanwhile, is no lock to make the roster, but he played well enough in relief last season to return in 2025.
Defensive tackle
2020: John Penisini, Nick Williams, Danny Shelton, Da’Shawn Hand, Kevin Strong
There’s a reason why the 2020 Lions were one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Despite plenty of bulk up front, they could not stop the run to save their lives. Worse yet, they did not have the pass rushing ability to make up for it. Penisini saw a surprising number of snaps for a sixth-round rookie, splitting time with Shelton at nose tackle. Hand continued to battle injuries, failing to recapture his outstanding rookie performance. Williams was reliable upon heavily due to other injuries, and while he was serviceable, he took a step back in his first year in Detroit.
2021: Nick Williams, Michael Brockers, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, John Penisini
The Lions were still in the process of shedding some of Patricia’s interior, but there was a clear transition in place. The Lions added McNeill and Onwuzurike in the draft, as well as the veteran Brockers via trade. Williams still played a sizeable role, but it was clear that he was more of a temporary fix while the rookies developed. Penisini saw his role drastically decrease, the need for a gap-filling nose tackle much reduced in the new defensive front.
2025: Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Tyleik Williams, Levi Onwuzurike, Roy Lopez, Mekhi Wingo
Defensive tackle could be one of the deepest positions for the Lions entering 2025. All eyes are on the recovery of McNeill, the star tackle still working his way back from an ACL injury. Thankfully for the Lions, they have invested in a talented depth chart. Onwuzurike returns to Detroit after the best (and healthiest) season of his career—and on a cheap contract to boot. Meanwhile, Williams and Wingo are promising young talents that could blossom sooner than later. Reader might be on the downswing of his career, but he is nonetheless a stalwart part of the interior. Lopez could be the biggest wild card for the Lions: high-upside depth that could realistically see a larger role if he hits the ground running.
Linebacker
2020: Jamie Collins, Jahlani Tavai, Reggie Ragland, Christian Jones, Jarrad Davis
Linebacker is the position where I think the Patricia era Lions failed the most. Patricia wanted bigger, hulking linebackers that usually suffered from slow feet. Collins, Tavai, Ragland, and Jones each fit the system—unfortunately, it was an ill-designed system. Coverage was a glaring weakness of this unit, frequently getting burnt by tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Davis, meanwhile, was largely relegated to rotational duties as a failed former first-round selection.
2021: Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Derrick Barnes, Josh Woods, Jamie Collins
With the firing of Patricia and hiring of Glenn, a position that saw drastic change was the linebacking corps. Of the five players that recorded over 100 snaps in 2020, just one of them made the team. That player, Collins, was released in late September, marking the full makeover. In fact, the only 2020 linebacker that made a notable contribution was Reeves-Maybin, who had been a full-time special teamer. The Lions wanted faster linebackers, and Anzalone, Reeves-Maybin, and Barnes fit the bill.
2025: Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Grant Stuard
After a season where linebackers were falling like flies, the hope is that the Lions can weather 2025 without too many injuries. They have the depth to manage a few injuries, but 2024 was beyond a worst-case scenario. The starting trio of Anzalone, Barnes, and Campbell are solid, a mix of great run stopping and coverage ability. Barnes, in particular, looked promising as a SAM linebacker last year, but his season was cut short by injury. Campbell, meanwhile, took a great stride forward and could very well lead the linebacking corps next year. The Lions will be without Rodriguez to start the year, but Stuard should slot in nicely while also replacing Reeves-Maybin as a top special teamer.
Cornerback
2020: Amani Oruwariye, Justin Coleman, Darryl Roberts, Jeff Okudah, Desmond Trufant
Entering training camp, there was optimism that it would be a resurgent secondary for the Lions. However, it never truly materialized. Oruwariye had promise as a rookie in 2019, but took a step back in 2020. Coleman continued to look outmatched and overpaid. Okudah looked overwhelmed as a rookie. Trufant was injured more often than not. Suddenly, the Lions had to turn to the likes of Roberts to be a capable part of the secondary—which he wasn’t.
2021: Amani Oruwariye, A.J. Parker, Jerry Jacobs, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Bobby Price
The 2021 Lions secondary was flat-out horrendous, and the list of cornerbacks paints a clear picture why. When Okudah got hurt in the first game of the season, the Lions had no one to turn to. Oruwariye was the CB1 by default and struggled mightily, his perceived success inflated by six interceptions. Rookie Melifonwu battled injuries all season, so the Lions had to turn to two undrafted rookies in Parker and Jacobs to stem the bleeding.
2025: D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw, Avonte Maddox, Khalil Dorsey
Talk about a rebuild. After struggling to field a competent secondary, the Lions are suddenly looking like one of the better ones in the NFC. Arnold progressed well as a rookie, shaking off a multitude of early-season penalties. The optimism is that he will pair with newly-signed Reed to be a lockdown tandem. Not to be forgotten are Robertson and Rakestraw. Robertson was an under-the-radar asset for the Lions last season, while Rakestraw will look to rebound from an injury-shortened rookie season. Dorsey had some positive moments in coverage, but his specialty and road to the roster is as an elite gunner. Maddox, meanwhile, should figure into the safety conversation as a valued chess piece.
Safety
2020: Duron Harmon, Tracy Walker, Jayron Kearse, Will Harris
The Lions safeties were—surprise—also not very good under Patricia either. Harmon started the year strong before falling off down the stretch. Both Walker and Harris failed to find their footing in 2020, leading to one being rotated for the other multiple times during the season. Kearse, meanwhile, was one of the better members of the secondary (which says more about the secondary), and was released before the final game of the season after violating team rules .
2021: Will Harris, Tracy Walker, Dean Marlowe, C.J. Moore
Harris and Walker dominated the Lions’ snap count, but performance-wise, they were polar opposites. In his first full season as a starter, Harris was outclassed at safety. This, coupled with cornerback injuries, eventually resulted in his transition to cornerback, where he was improved but still below standards. Walker, on the other hand, rebounded from a poor 2020 in his contract year, success that he would parlay into a three-year, $25 million contract the next offseason. Marlowe was serviceable as third safety, but actually saw a performance uptick when thrust into a starting role.
2025: Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Dan Jackson
There is a significant contrast between the Lions’ top safeties and the rest of their depth chart. Branch and Joseph are easily the best safety duo in the NFL , but who replaces them in the event of injury? The Lions drafted Jackson this year, but his present-day value is more as a special teamer than as a defender. As mentioned, Maddox could factor in as a corner/safety hybrid, not too dissimilar to Branch’s role. That leaves the likes of Loren Strickland, Morice Norris, Erick Hallett, and Ian Kennelly as reserve options—a major question mark for the Lions.
Special teams
2020: Matt Prater (K), Jack Fox (P), Don Muhlbach (LS)
For all the bad that Patricia and Quinn did during their time in Detroit, at least the special teams situation was good. Prater had a down year in 2020 (only going 21-for-28 on his kicks), but the veteran had entrenched himself as one of the top legs in the league. Fox, meanwhile, went from a late-season practice squad signing in 2019 to a second-team All-Pro in 2020. At long snapper, the Lions stuck with Muhlbach, the then longest-tenured member of the Lions.
2021: Riley Patterson (K), Austin Seibert (K), Ryan Santoso (K), Aldrick Rosas (K), Jack Fox (P), Scott Daly (LS)
As a rebuilding team, the decision was made to move on from the aging Prater. The fact that there are four kickers on this list highlights how poorly the Lions handled their post-Prater kicking situation. Seibert technically “won” the initial job, though he was a waiver claim from the Cleveland Browns after both Randy Bullock and Zane Gonzalez struggled in training camp—a move that I’m still proud I predicted . When Seibert went down with injury, it was Santoso and Rosas that filled in. The Lions eventually settled on Patterson, who offered some stability at the position (at the cost of leg power). Elsewhere, Fox remained the starting punter, while 2021 marked the end of the Muhlbach era in Detroit as the Lions replaced him with Daly.
2025: Jake Bates (K), Jack Fox (P), Hogan Hatten (LS)
Fox has continued his ascension into the NFL’s elite specialists, earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2024. The Lions went for a youth movement at kicker and long snapper, and both moves have paid off early. Bates was among the league’s best kickers last year, with both a booming leg and ice in his veins. Hatten’s performance might get overlooked due to his position, but he not only put together a great season snapping, he was quietly an asset on punt coverage as well—he flies down the field.