For years the secondary was an Achilles heel for the Detroit Lions. Since 2003, the Lions have ranked 20th or worse eight times in the final passing yards allowed statistic.
Over the last two seasons, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has totally revamped the back end of the defense.
It started in 2013 with the signing of safety Glover Quin on the opening day of free agency. The team then drafted cornerback Darius Slay in the second round of that year’s draft. Midway through training camp that season, Mayhew signed veteran cornerback Rashean Mathis.
S Glover Quin (Photo: Detroit Lions)
Quin and Mathis started most of the season alongside cornerback Chris Houston and safety Louis Delmas, with Slay serving as both a starter and backup at times.