In an otherwise young group of defensive ends, 31-year-old Wallace Gilberry looks like someone who could have a sizable role for the Lions this season.
By declining to re-sign Jason Jones and Darryl Tapp, the Lions left themselves a shallow group of pass rushers. Ziggy Ansah is a burgeoning star, and while accumulating seven sacks as a backup last season, Devin Taylor looked ready to become a starter.
But considering how frequently the Lions rotate defensive linemen, the backups will play a lot.
And right now, Gilberry’s top competitors are Brandon Copeland, who made his debut in his third season, and rookies Anthony Zettel, Deonte Gibson, James DeLoach and Louis Palmer (the latter three were undrafted).