2018 wasn’t a great year for the Detroit Lions defensively. While they finished a respectable 16th in points allowed, just about every other stat indicated a disaster season.
But by the end of the year, there was some real reasons for hope. The Lions held five of their last seven opponents below 25 points and their run defense became one of the best in the entire NFL. There was one big reason for that, but there were also a few other Lions players that deserve some recognition. So here are the 2018 candidates for Lions Defensive Player of the Year.