ALLEN PARK, Mich. – Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said the team’s retooled edge-rusher group is already turning heads during organized team activities, with length, versatility, and competition driving the unit’s early-offseason identity.
Speaking Thursday (June 11) after Day 9 of OTAs, Sheppard said the reshaped pass rush immediately stands out physically, though he acknowledged that meaningful evaluation remains limited without pads.
“On the first look at it, it’s changed over there,” Sheppard said. “The biggest thing that stands out to me is length. That’s something we attacked and saw we needed.”
Sheppard credited the front office for targeting players with different physical profiles, noting that the group now includes both longer edge defenders and more compact, power-based players.
He said that the mix should generate significant competition once training camp opens.
“It’s a good mix and blend,” Sheppard said. “You’ve got some long guys, some shorter, powerful type players. It’s going to be a lot of competition come training camp. There’s six or seven guys I’m looking at, and they all look like they can play.”
Building around Hutchinson
The Lions made several offseason moves to bolster the defensive front around star edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, with an emphasis on depth and situational versatility.
Sheppard said the staff’s focus was not simply adding speed, but identifying complementary skill sets that fit alongside the former Michigan Wolverines‘ game.
“A lot of guys want that juiced-up speed ball type player,” Sheppard said. “But does that truly complement what that player does well? That’s something we had to sit back as a staff and evaluate.”
A name to watch: Anthony Lucas
Sheppard also spotlighted several young and lesser-known players who have begun to emerge during the offseason program. Among them: undrafted defensive lineman Anthony Lucas, who caught Sheppard’s eye on film, particularly during a standout college performance against LSU while at Southern California.
“He was a game-wrecker,” Sheppard said. “I had my radar up like, how did we get this guy?”
Jimmy Rolder
Sheppard praised former Wolverines-turned-rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder’s rapid mental development during organized team activities, pointing to coaching and the player’s processing ability as key factors in his early progress.
Rolder, who was part of the Wolverines’ 2023 College Football Playoff national championship team, has stood out this spring for his ability to quickly absorb assignments in Detroit’s evolving defensive system.
The comments followed linebacker Derek Barnes, noting Roler’s strong football IQ during OTAs.
“It starts with (linebackers coach) Shaun Dion Hamilton, a linebacker coach that I feel is one of the best in the league when it comes to developing,” Sheppard said. “When people ask me what I look for in a coach, it’s a teacher and, more importantly, a guy that can develop and pull the most out of his guys. And Ham does that each and every day.”
Sheppard credited Hamilton’s detailed coaching approach for helping young players adjust quickly to the scheme’s mental demands.
Rolder’s transition has been notable given his limited college experience, but Sheppard said the system places a premium on intelligence and adaptability at the linebacker position.
“To play linebacker and safety in this system, especially where we’ve taken it now, it takes a lot,” Sheppard said. “It takes mental capacity, and he has it.”
While encouraged by Rolder’s trajectory, Sheppard emphasized that the rookie is still developing and is not yet in a position for a major role.
“He still has a lot of ways to grow,” Sheppard said. “This isn’t a guy we’re looking to go out and call the defense tomorrow, but his trajectory and where we see things going for him is definitely on the upswing.”
Secondary embracing uncertainty
Beyond the defensive front, Sheppard said the Lions are treating uncertainty in the secondary as a growth opportunity. With offseason roster changes affecting the safety and nickel positions, he said the coaching staff is prioritizing adaptability as new defensive concepts are installed during spring workouts.
“Things are going to change,” Sheppard said. “In that moment, who are you? That’s what we’re going through right now.”
Sheppard said he expects competition at multiple positions to carry into training camp, where the team will get its first true evaluation period in full pads.
“For us, it’s about solutions,” he said. “We’re not in this to be close. We’re in this to go do it.”
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