This week, we did the same thing with the Lions defense, and needless to say, the overarching conclusions were a bit different. While the Lions have some top-end talent with Aidan Hutchinson and Jack Campbell, injuries and some big pending free agents leave Detroit with more questions than answers. So, for over an hour, the PODcast crew searched for answers, as we categorized the most notable defensive players into seven different categories:
Here’s our finalized list of the most notable players on defense:
Note: Rock-Ya Sin is not listed, but we discussed him on the podcast and placed him in the “depth, nothing more or less” tier.
The biggest takeaway for me was the lack of “starter” level talent. Obviously, we opted it was time to move on from Alex Anzalone and DJ Reader—two starting-capable talents that just may not fit the Lions’ current financial situation—but beyond that, Detroit needs more high-end talent. On offense, we identified 11 players who were at least “starter” level talent. On defense, that number is just nine. That list includes Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph, whose football futures could be highly impacted by injury. It also includes Terrion Arnold and Tyleik Williams, two first-round picks that need to take serious jumps next year.
Check out our entire discussion on each player on this week’s PODcast. We also discuss the Super Bowl and what the Lions need to do to get on the Seattle Seahawks’ level. Check out the show with the Spotify embed below or via your favorite podcast platform by searching “Pride of Detroit.”