This offseason, the Detroit Lions overturned their defensive line, and understandably so. It was one of their most ineffective units on the team. While pass rushing was never much of a priority under Matt Patricia, the team couldn’t even boast a successful run defense. Opposing teams averaged 4.4 yards per carry against the Lions, and Detroit’s run defense ranked 27th in DVOA.
So, Detroit moved on from the likes of Danny Shelton and Everson Griffen, while pumping in a bunch of new resources into the defensive front. They traded for Michael Brockers. They drafted defensive tackles Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike on Day 2 of the draft.