An Overview of the Detroit Lions Defense
The 2025 Lions did some good things on defense and some not-so-good things. The pass defense could boast the 6th-best completion percentage, but they would rather avoid talking about being 24th in yards allowed through the air, or that three teams surrendered more pass plays of 20+ yards, or even that the 31 touchdowns they allowed were the fifth-most in the league. Likewise, the run defense slipped into the top half of the league in yards, but was 24th in yards per carry. Detroit was middle-of-the-pack with 19 turnovers and below average in scoring, but they got after the passer with a strong 49 sacks.
On the plus side, last year's Lions were not beset by a multitude of injuries as they had been the previous couple of years. Thought they did have some impactful ones along with their share of bumps and bruises. What we learned from the 2025 season is that this was a rather mediocre group overall.
The offseason has not been kind to this defense. Instead of making improvements, they have battled to remain mediocre, at least on paper. The defensive line lost three significant contributors. Roy Lopez and DJ Reader on the inside, and Al-Quadin Muhammad, who was second on the team with eleven sacks, on the edge. The second level lost mainstay Alex Anzalone. None of those guys is irreplaceable, and the team had the entire offseason to address them. It is the secondary that could be a real problem.
Both safeties are coming off injuries, and the vibes surrounding playmaker Kerby Joseph in particular are not good. At corner, the loss of Amik Robertson was expected. The loss of rising star Terrion Arnold was not. Adding to the complications of his release, due to ongoing legal issues, is that it came after free agency and the draft, when options are limited.
The organization made the most of the cap room they had, picking up some solid veterans who will contribute. They had some young guys waiting in the wings as well. The draft brought them a potential starter on the edge, a likely future starter at linebacker, and a third-day corner that could see more action than the organization might have liked. Champions overcome adversity. This defense has a lot to overcome.
Detroit Lions Defensive Linemen
Detroit hit one out of the park when they selected Aidan Hutchinson second overall in 2022. Most rookie pass rushers start slowly and break out in year two or three. Hutchinson hit the ground running, going 34-18-9.5 with 5 turnovers, 3 batted passes, and a top-15 rank in year one. He has only gotten better from there.
If not for such a productive rookie campaign, Hutchinson's year two would have been considered a breakout. Instead, it was simply an improvement. At 36-15-11.5 with 6 turnovers, 7 batted passes, and 14 tackles for loss, he broke into the top ten for the first time.
Year three was a setback. Hutchinson suffered a season-ending broken leg in week six, but not before making an impression. In just over four full games' worth of action, he had 19 tackles, 7.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and was the fantasy game's top edge defender at the time of the injury.
There is no question that Hutchinson was fully recovered last season. Going 36-18-14.5 with 6 turnovers and 3 batted passes, he was ED5 and has taken his place on the elite tier at the position. It would be no surprise to see him challenge for a sack title and post his first top-three finish in 2026.
That is where the certainty stops for Detroit's edge defenders. Muhammad was a stopgap when he was signed last year. His production was better than expected, but he was never considered to be a long-term answer. The team signed another possible stopgap in journeyman D.J. Wonnum. The veteran will compete with second-round pick Derrick Moore for the starting job opposite Hutchinson.
Being a veteran with starting experience, Wonnum has the upper hand entering camp. His first four seasons were with the Vikings, where he made many starts, mostly filling in for injuries, and proved to be a dependable option. Wonnum contributed decent tackle numbers and had 23 sacks for Minnesota, twice reaching eight. He spent the last two seasons in Carolina, where he was far less productive in a smaller role. He is a capable addition and likely somewhat of an upgrade over Muhammad.
Moore is the player the organization sees as the long-term future. He has the size, mentality, and skill set to play all three downs, but there is room to improve as a run defender. His pass rush could use some refinement, and he needs to add moves and counters to his arsenal, but the ability is there. Looking at Moore's career at Michigan, the numbers are there as well.
Moore was a three-year starter for the Wolverines, totaling 95 stops, 24.5 sacks, 6 turnovers, and 8 batted passes, including 30 tackles and 10 sacks in 2025. He will contribute immediately and has a shot at landing the starting job before week one.
The Lions' moving on from DJ Reader and Roy Lopez was by design. Alim McNeill and Levi Onwuzurike are healthy, and last year's first-round pick, Tyleik Williams, is ready for a bigger role. The team also added a pair of developmental late-round picks to help fill the depth chart. There is no reason to spend much time on this group because Detroit's interior line simply does not contribute to the IDP cause. No Lions tackle averaged more than three points per game last year. No one had more than 11 solo stops, and Lopez led the interior guys with 2 sacks. The last Lions tackle to average over five points per game was McNeill in 2023.
- DE Aidan Hutchinson – Elite tier ED1
- DE Derrick Moore – Strong dynasty target who could blossom as a rookie
- DE D.J. Wonnum – Dependable veteran contributor with limited upside
- DE Tyler Lacy – No impact expected
- DE Payton Turner – Young player looking to get his career on track
- DT Alim McNeill – Showed promise early in his career, not so much lately
- DT Levi Onwuzurike – No impact expected
- DT Tyleik Williams – Deep sleeper watch list
- DT Skyler Gill-Howard – Developmental rookie
- DT Tyre West – Developmental rookie