The Detroit Lions are entrusting Kelvin Sheppard with the reins to their defense after Aaron Glenn departed to become the head coach of the New York Jets. Sheppard has spent the last four seasons working under Glenn.
This offseason, Glenn explained that he was working closely with Sheppard with the intention to prepare him for this role when it was time to take a head coaching job himself. This offseason, that time came as Glenn was hired by the New York Jets.
Now, Sheppard takes over a defense that has plenty of talent but was ravaged by injuries last season. When fully healthy, the group has a serious amount of upside led by star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. As a result, there's optimism for the group in 2025.
Here are two ways the Lions' defense will be similar to how it's been in previous years under Sheppard's leadership in 2025.
Man coverage
The Lions will play plenty of man coverage, this much is known for certain. Under Glenn, the style of Detroit's defenses was to always play physical man coverage, and as a result it is to be expected that they will do the same in 2025.
Sheppard has spoken about how he wants the identity of his defense to be physicality and relentlessness, and the team has set that tone with the way it covers opposing receivers in recent years.
In addition to Sheppard sharing Glenn's perspective on this, the Lions have also tailored their roster to cornerbacks who fit their desired description of being solid in man coverage and tough to separate from.
Players such as D.J. Reed, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson and Ennis Rakestraw fit those descriptions, which is somewhat unique given that not every cornerback has what it takes to suit up for the Lions.
Man coverage will again likely be an emphasis in 2024, and the Lions will be looking to use physicality to make life tough for opposing quarterbacks.
Crush the pocket pass-rush and defensive line versatility
The Lions had a distinct way of rushing the passer under Glenn, which was to crush the pocket using strong rushes both from the edge and the interior. This type of style breeds versatility and as a result it was expected that multiple defensive linemen could line up in different spots across the line.
Alim McNeill was the most versatile interior defensive lineman, though he is not expected to be ready for the start of the season due to a torn ACL suffered in December of the 2024 season. When healthy, though, he can play multiple different defensive line spots and make a massive impact on the pass-rush.
These two characteristics go together nicely, as the versatility of their defensive linemen create the matchups that they can exploit to wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.
If Hutchinson is ready to go by the start of the year, that will also be a massive advantage for the Lions' defense heading into 2025 due to his ability to put pressure on the quarterback.
