Indianapolis — Oil and water. Orange juice and toothpaste. Running quarterbacks and the 2022 Detroit Lions.
The Lions gave up more rushing yards to quarterbacks than any team in the league by a substantial margin, allowing a whopping seven yards per carry last season.
As the quarterback position features more athleticism with each year that passes, performing better in that area is at the forefront of defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn’s mind.
“Defensively, man, you want to build it with a lot of good athletes, a lot of good players that can run. So, even though (the quarterback) might check in and out of plays, we got athletes that can just go and play,” Glenn said. “You have to build your defense that way with the evolution of all these running quarterbacks coming in.
“So, the more athletes you can get on the field that have the mentality of being violent and being physical, so now it doesn’t take away from what their No. 1 job is, but (they’re still) able to play in space against some of these quarterbacks. They’re usually getting space now, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”
Credit where it’s due: Detroit’s defense made an emphatic turnaround after the halfway point.
But, even as the defense at large progressed, the Lions’ inability to plug the interior escape valve was concerning. Justin Fields’ 105-yard rushing performance in the first quarter of the Lions’ home finale against the Chicago Bears was a stark reminder that old habits die hard.
To continue improving, the Lions will need to add some beef — and talent — up the middle during free agency and the draft.
Enter: A defensive tackle class without much true star power outside Georgia’s Jalen Carter (and his pending legal battles have many wondering where he’ll even go in this draft). Though there might not be a home-run interior option for Detroit with the sixth pick, this class looks as though it’ll provide plenty of value for a team with five picks in the first three rounds.
One second-round option for the Lions could be Wisconsin tackle Keeanu Benton. He admittedly needs work as a pass rusher — he turned 14 quarterback pressures into two sacks last season — but has demonstrated an ability to manipulate the defensive interior with his strength. If a player like him hits his potential with Detroit, it could go a long way.
“I can hold blocks. I can hold double-teams. I can split double-teams,” he said, adding that he’s still building his repertoire as a pass rusher.
“Just getting after the (passer), making my movements decisive and taking those milliseconds off so I can get sacks, rather than quarterback pressures.”
Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee started out as a popular mock for the Lions at the top of the draft, but he has seemingly slid down draft boards in recent weeks. There are questions about his durability and the sample size of his recent work, but when it comes to the athleticism like Glenn talked about, he’s got it in spades.
“I think I’m a unique player,” Bresee said.
“I lean on my athletic ability, playing out on the edge as a 300-pound guy. That definitely helps, but then also playing inside, I’m 6-5, 300 pounds, so I’m able to play the run game inside, but also rush the pass from the outside.”
Other defensive tackles who tested well athletically at the Combine were Gervon Dexter (Florida), Colby Wooden (Auburn), Dante Stills (West Virginia), Jalen Redmond (Oklahoma) and Zacch Pickens (South Carolina).
Pitt’s Calijah Kancey (6-foot-1, 281 pounds) is an undersized interior lineman who will unfairly draw comps to fellow small-ish Panther alum and future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. He ran the fastest 40 time (4.67) for any defensive tackle in Combine history, breaking the record set by Donald himself.
He named Grady Jarrett, Javon Hargrave, Quinnen Williams and Donald as players he models his game after.
“They paved the way for smaller defensive tackles and showed we could play at the next level,” Kancey said. “Lots of quickness, speed, technique, block shedding and aggressiveness.”
Though his reach will be an issue for some teams, he’s hoping the rest of the package will offset that.
“I just know I have to play with great technique and use my speed to my advantage,” he said. “It’s my speed and my quickness, playing with good leverage, getting underneath the thigh pads of bigger offensive linemen — that’s my advantage I have against bigger offensive linemen.”
Bigger, faster, stronger — Glenn and Co. would ideally prefer a few guys who give them a combination of all three. But they’ll be satisfied with any personnel combo who can close the escape valve, and there are a few guys in this draft who provide just that.
nbianchi@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @nolanbianchi