Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Lions need help everywhere on defense: upfront, at linebacker and in the back end.
And while they should find some help when free agency opens next week, general manager Brad Holmes hinted that he’s expecting bigger contributions from some of the lesser-known players on his roster in 2021.
“There’s still some young guys that hadn’t played as much that I’m very familiar with coming out of the draft process and watching the film from the previous year that we feel good about,” Holmes said last week. “So there’s optimism in some players that have not been as, let’s say, as well-known that we have a lot of hope for.”
Holmes did not single out anyone specifically, but much of the Lions’ young, unproven talent is in their front seven.
The Lions took three defensive linemen in last year’s draft, but only one — nose tackle John Penisini — was a regular member of the playing group.
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Penisini far outplayed his draft status as a sixth-round pick and should have a role at nose tackle going forward. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said he wants a versatile defense and will not be married to any one scheme, but the Lions are expected to have elements of an odd-man front in their playbook, which would suit Penisini’s skill set.
Along with Penisini, the Lions spent a third-round pick on edge rusher Julian Okwara and a seventh-round pick on interior defensive lineman Jashon Cornell last spring.
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Okwara played sparingly because of injuries, appearing in just six games, while Cornell missed the season with a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in training camp. Both players are expected back for the start of this season.
In 2019, the Lions spent mid-round picks on front-seven players Jahlani Tavai and Austin Bryant, and Da’Shawn Hand, a 2018 fourth-round choice, remains on the roster after three injury-riddled years.
It would border on malpractice for Holmes to leave the spring with any of those six, outside of Penisini, ticketed for a starting role this fall. But the first-year Lions GM, who came to the team after eight seasons as college scouting director with the Los Angeles Rams, could be eyeing most of those players for prominent rotational spots.
Okwara and Bryant, in particular, are intriguing because of their pass-rush ability, the premium that is placed on that skill at the NFL level and the Lions’ potential need for help in that area.
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Romeo Okwara, Julian’s older brother, led the Lions with 10 sacks last season but is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next week. If he signs elsewhere, the Lions, who have struggled to generate a consistent pass rush in recent seasons, will need to add a starting-caliber defensive end to play opposite Trey Flowers. Among their potential free agent options are Trey Hendrickson of the New Orleans Saints and Melvin Ingram of the Los Angeles Chargers.
Both Julian Okwara and Bryant could fit in the pass-rushing rotation at defensive end or linebacker — both saw practice time with both groups last season — and both have flashed impact ability in their limited action.
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Okwara, who was considered a potential first-round pick before he broke his left fibula in his final season at Notre Dame, had two pressures on five snaps in an October game against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season, when he limped off the field with an injured right leg. He spent nine games on injured reserve and returned late in the season to finish with three tackles, including one for loss, in 69 defensive snaps.
Bryant, a key member of Clemson’s 2018 national championship team, had 17 tackles in six games, including one start. He blocked a punt in a November loss to the Minnesota Vikings and had a career-high seven tackles in his second game back from a late-season thigh injury against the Tennessee Titans.
So while pass rush remains a need entering free agency — one that could grow in the coming weeks — the Lions have several in-house options they appear to be counting on for depth.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.