The Detroit Lions shocked a lot of people with their performance during the 2022 season. While it didn’t result in a playoff appearance, ownership has to feel good about the direction that general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell has the franchise moving in.
They have done an excellent job of changing the culture within the team, quickly turning the downtrodden team around. The Lions are on the up and up behind the plan that Holmes and Campbell put together and are executing.
Heading into Year 3 of this regime, expectations are beginning to grow. The Lions should contend for a playoff spot in 2023 as they possess an explosive offense led by Jared Goff. What will determine how much success they can have is how well the defense comes together.
Things got ugly at times last season on that side of the ball as Detroit finished 28th in points allowed and 32nd in yardage. This offseason’s focus was on improving that side of the ball as the team was aggressively upgrading the secondary.
Cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley were both signed along with safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson. One of the team’s first-round picks was used on linebacker Jack Campbell to bolster the second line of defense.
The defensive line didn’t receive any reinforcements in free agency, but there is still time to make additions. Bolstering the defensive line is what Brad Spielberger of PFF believes is the one move left the Lions have to make this offseason. Defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis would be the perfect fit, in his opinion.
“Ioannidis has missed time here and there in recent seasons with injuries, but he’s been a consistently strong pass rusher from the interior, earning pass-rush grades of 69.1 or better in each of the past six seasons with a pressure rate of around 10% in each of the past two. He can help a lot of teams make things tough on opposing quarterbacks.
A reliable veteran on the interior next to 2021 third-round pick Alim McNeill could be a key addition to a young Lions defensive line that was gashed up the middle at times in 2022. Detroit does not have many holes left, but not significantly addressing the interior of the defensive line this offseason — via the draft or free agency — leaves an area in need of reinforcements.”
The pass rush is one area in which the Lions could certainly use some help. The no. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Aidan Hutchinson, looks like the real deal and James Houston came out of nowhere to provide 8.0 sacks in seven games.
But, there is very little in the way of reliable production at defensive tackle. As stated by Spielberger, Ioannidis still has plenty left in the tank to offer a team and it is a bit surprising that he is even available at this stage in the offseason.
