A proposed area of improvement for each projected starter on Detroit Lions' defense
Allen Park — Last week, we offered a potential area of improvement for each of the Detroit Lions’ projected starters on offense. Now, we turn our attention to the team’s defense, which battled through unprecedented attrition in 2024 and has a new coordinator in Kelvin Sheppard.
Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson
Where to improve: Run defense
Hutchinson has steadily improved through his first three seasons. After his torrid start to the 2024 season, he’s entered the conversation as one of the league’s truly elite edge rushers. It's now a matter of consistency, especially coming back from a broken leg.
His ability to wreak havoc in the pocket is and will continue to be the most important thing he can bring to the Lions. Where he has the most room to grow is as a run defender.
Hutchinson isn’t a slouch as an edge setter, and he’s relentless in backside pursuit. Still, he isn’t as dominant against the run as some of the other stars at the position, most notably T.J. Watt, a player some compared Hutchinson to coming out of Michigan.
Another example of an elite run-stopping edge, one closer to the end of his career, is Khalil Mack. He and Watt are the type of defenders who own their side of the line at all times. That’s the next frontier for Hutchinson as he returns from last year’s injury.
Defensive end Marcus Davenport
Where to improve: Stay healthy
Recognizing there’s only so much a player can do to ensure their durability and availability, everything seemingly hinges on Davenport’s ability to avoid a serious or nagging injury in 2025. By all accounts, he has been putting in the preventative work with his body this offseason.
The last time he was close to full strength for an entire season, he racked up 9.0 sacks and 42 quarterback pressures for New Orleans in 2021. If he can bring anything close to that level of production to the Lions this year, the team’s pass rush should be just fine.
Defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike
Where to improve: Convert pressures to sacks