As we all await for the Detroit Lions season to get started, it’s fun to look at their schedule, depth chart and speculate the potential of the season. When looking at the Lions defense, it’s hard to look past their defensive line. The depth from this unit runs deep and the 53-man roster could easily see 10-to-12 players from the defensive line on it.
The projected starters are currently:
- Aidan Hutchinson
- D.J. Reader
- Alim McNeill
- Marcus Davenport
But as we’ve seen under Aaron Glenn’s defense, the Lions use players up front on a situational basis. The key depth players could be the following:
- John Cominsky
- Josh Paschal
- Levi Onwuzurike
It’s expected that a player such as Brodric Martin could really take a big step forward this season. He appears to be in much better football shape than he was a season ago and if Reader or McNeill struggle with any type of injury, he could be the next man up.
Adding to that, the Lions added Mekhi Wingo from LSU in the 2024 NFL Draft. Recently, I discussed him as a potential underrated player to the Lions defense so we’ll need to see what he does in a situational role for the team.
That alone gives the Lions nine defensive lineman that should see the field on a consistent basis. The wildcards of the group are James Houston, Kyle Peko and Mathieu Betts.
Starting with Betts, he’s coming off an 18-sack season in the CFL and not only did it earn him a contract with the Lions but it also helped him win the CFL’s Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award. While he is 29-years old, I’d have to think he should find a spot on the roster but nothing is guaranteed. He was brought onto the roster to compete and my guess is that he’s here to compete with James Houston.
Things are interesting with Houston. He broke his ankle in week 2 last season and was placed on injured reserve. Despite being activated off the IR in January of 2024, the Lions never played him. Houston did have 8 sacks as a rookie and he does provide plenty of juice off the edge. However, comments from Dan Campbell last season makes me wonder if he’s a player on the bubble this summer.
Lastly, the expectations shouldn’t be overly high for Kyle Peko. He’s got familiarity with Lions defensive line coach Terrell Williams but he’s primarily been a rotational player in his career. With the Lions already having depth on the interior, he could be the odd man out this summer.
Regardless, the Lions have a deep roster of defensive lineman. With any down and distance, we could see any combination on the field. Those combinations should play to the strengths of the defense and it could be the difference maker to help this unit stay more consistent for the 2024 season.
