Allen Park — While everybody’s eagerly awaiting the return of Jeff Okudah and the play of Detroit’s new guys in the secondary, Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant has a sizable task at the top of his priority list: Get more out of the anchors from last year’s group.
Cornerback Amani Oruwariye had a breakout season and safety Tracy Walker had a bounce-back season. Oruwariye is looking for his next contract, while Walker signed for three years, $25 million this past spring.
What’s next for the veteran Lion draftees in Pleasant’s room? Growth.
Oruwariye ranked third in the NFL in interceptions (six) despite missing three games last season. Pleasant thinks Orwuwariye can be even “better than ‘21.”
“Let’s just roll over, let’s continue to keep going. I’m really pleased at his progression I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I want him to continue getting that ball back,” Pleasant said. “I’m just really looking forward to seeing Amani grow as a professional, and that’s just more on the student side. He’s been a phenomenal student, but as a corner in this league, you can never learn enough.”
Oruwariye’s burst onto the scene came at a time when the Lions desperately needed it — as did Walker’s strong comeback campaign. The defense was dismal in 2021. Detroit was marred by injuries as yards and points piled up, finishing 29th and 31st in those categories, respectively. One could argue Oruwariye and Walker, plus maybe edge rusher Charles Harris, were the only stabilizing forces.
New talent has been added around them at nearly every position and there are quite a few players looking to make a leap from year one to year two. If Walker and Oruwariye can continue improving while the rest of the defense does, too, that could mean big things for Detroit’s defense next season.
In a bit of irony, they each need to work on the other’s strengths. Pleasant said he needs Walker to capitalize on interception opportunities. Walker’s lone pick last season came with 21 seconds left in Week 18 against the Packers; afterward it was revealed that he’d earned the nickname “Butters” for his inability to turn pass defenses into turnovers.
“Last year, Tracy had some great pass breakups that could’ve been pick-sixes or interceptions, and really it’s taking that next step,” Pleasant said. “Counting those small victories, realizing what you’ve done, but how do you separate yourself? And when he watches those on film, he sees there’s an opportunity for him to improve.”
This is not something Walker has shied away from.
“My approach is to get the ball as much as possible. I’ve…got my hands on a few of them since I’ve been here, but I’ve just got to continue to take them away,” Walker said at minicamp.
Pleasant said Oruwariye, on the other hand, must become a better tackler — something Walker excels at and finished as the team leader in two of his first four NFL seasons.
“The only small thing that we’ve talked about is being a more efficient tackler in the open field. I think he’s been more aggressive, and I like that side of him,” Pleasant said.
Nonetheless, he was impressed by the way that Oruwariye, who’s entering his fourth NFL season after being selected out of Penn State in the fifth round in 2019, started to go from “putting yourself in a good position to make the play” to “actually taking the ball away from the offense.”
While he’s not quite there yet, Pleasant believes that becoming a “shutdown corner” is well within Oruwariye’s grasp.
“In order for that to happen, he has to grow and continue to understand what a shutdown corner means,” Pleasant said. “What do you look for as a defensive coordinator in order to put that tag on a guy? And those are all the things this offseason that we’ve collectively come together to say, ‘What could you do to be able to take that next step?’
“And I think he’s accepting the challenge.”
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi