Detroit Lions: 5 Offseason moves to make for 2019
By Zac Snyder
Draft to pressure the quarterback
Bob Quinn did well to improve his defensive line over the last year by drafting Da’Shawn Hand, picking up Romeo Okwara on waivers and trading for Damon Harrison. Lions fans can now feel good about the team’s run defense but playing against the pass remains an issue. Part of it is due to personnel at cornerback, as previously discussed, but part of the issue is what happens up front.
The Lions did see their sack totals improve from 2017 to 2018, even without Ziggy Ansah single-handedly posting a healthy total, but that doesn’t mean the pass rush was effective. All too often those sacks came as a result of a quarterback holding on to the ball too long rather than disruptive pressure generated by the defensive front. No one watching the Lions would mistake what they saw for players that impact the game like an Aaron Donald or Khalil Mack.
What jumped out in this piece-- and what jumped out when looking at PFF stats all season long - is this line: " Devon Kennard and Romeo Okwara had the second and third-worst pass-rushing grades among starting edge players last season." Ignore the sacks; they wren't good rushers. https://t.co/dBLpfuOXxL
— Scott Warheit (@swarheit) January 14, 2019
On one hand, it is nice to know the Lions can post a respectable sack total the way they did, but it’s not so nice knowing that is how they had to do it. Even if things improve in the secondary there will always be a level this defense will not reach if they don’t have a defensive line presence who can be counted on to generate a handful of pressures on his own each game.
The problem is, those kinds of players are among the most expensive in the game — in terms of the cost to acquire them or to keep them or both. The best way for the Lions to go about getting the kind of force they need on their defensive line will be through an early draft pick. Kentucky’s Josh Allen has already been widely discussed as one such option for the Lions in the first round but it remains to be seen if he is even available at that spot.
It’s a passing league so making an opposing quarterback uncomfortable is a must. The Lions failed to do that far too often last season as the current personnel just isn’t good enough yet. What their pass rush needs isn’t more depth or hope for development from the current group. They need a headlining presence that an opposing offense has to take note of any time he’s on the field.