Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard: Marcus Davenport has taken 'no days off this offseason'

   

ALLEN PARK — No matter the questions from those outside the building, the Detroit Lions have made their feelings clear about Marcus Davenport.

Davenport, the former first-round pick who has missed 28 games over the last two seasons, is presently projected to be Detroit’s starter on the edge in 2025, playing opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. Davenport’s critics will knock him for his injury history — he’s never played a full season since entering the NFL in 2018, and he’s played more than 11 games in a year once since 2020 — but his supporters (including members of the coaching staff and general manager Brad Holmes) will point to his skill set and work ethic as reasons for belief.

“We all know the only obstacle for Davenport is the health and availability,” defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard said last week. “It’s never had anything to do with his play. … It’s always been the availability piece, like it is for every player. He’s had some setbacks in his career, but I watched that player take no days off this offseason. He’s been here just as long as the coaches have and is putting in the work. His body looks different right now. I firmly believe in speaking with him, his mindset is different right now.”

There are next to no questions about Davenport’s talent. He amassed 194 pressures and 21.5 sacks through his first five seasons (63 appearances, 32 starts), and his physical nature is right in line with what the Lions want as a complementary piece to Hutchinson. Davenport (6-foot-6, 285 pounds) often rushes with power, capable of maintaining his lane and not allowing an escape route to open for an opposing quarterback looking to scramble and get away from Hutchinson.

Davenport played in two games last season, his first with the Lions. He performed well in a season-opening win over the Los Angeles Rams, collecting six pressures and splitting a sack in the first quarter with defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike. His pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus (75.5) ranked sixth among the 29 players who saw at least 30 pass-rush snaps in Week 1. Davenport missed Week 2 (groin) before he returned against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 3 and suffered the triceps injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the season.

“I’m sitting here watching the first few games before he got hurt, and he was playing dominant,” said new defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, who knows what a strong pass rush looks like. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tallied 281 total sacks since Rodgers was hired in 2019. Only the Pittsburgh Steelers (292) had more sacks over that stretch.

The upside of Davenport is clear. Now, it’s about keeping him on the field.

“That’s the No. 1 thing, and I talked to him about it. … I’ve got to do everything to help him do that,” Rodgers said. “This guy is a tremendous player. … We’ve just got to do what we can to get him through 16, 17 games and see what happens. Because we think if he plays 17-plus games, we’re going to like the results.”

Football player
FILE – Detroit Lions defensive end Marcus Davenport (92) rushes during the second half of an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sept. 8, 2024, in Detroit. (DAVID DERMER — AP Photo, File)

Things can change rapidly in training camp, but the Lions have five edge rushers with logical paths to the 53-man roster: Davenport, Hutchinson, Josh Paschal, Al-Quadin Muhammad and sixth-round rookie Ahmed Hassanein. Some have pushed for Holmes to further address the position by hitting free agency — Za’Darius Smith is still out there, former Bears pass rusher DeMarcus Walker reportedly visited the Lions in April and Jadeveon Clowney was recently released by the Carolina Panthers — but the fifth-year general manager, while he hasn’t totally ruled out the idea of adding some help, has expressed optimism and belief in the current unit.

A similar faith in Davenport seems present in Detroit’s coaches.

“I would say just the confidence piece, and not holding back, not gauging, not throttling himself,” Sheppard said, when asked what about Davenport’s mindset is different than before. “(He’s) training right now like he plans on being in the season in November, December, not kind of gauging to get there. He’s training right now in preparation for, ‘I’m doing this, this year. I’m going to be available.’ There’s things that happen on the grass that you can’t control. But everything within his control, he’s doing everything of his ability to make sure he’s better.”

Nhu Quynh -
The Latest

This past draft target could become the Steelers’ next trade splash

Uncategory -7 giờ

Ever since the Pittsburgh Steelers traded away George Pickens, many wonder if they have a plan to replace the star receiver. They had a plan in mind last offseason to replace Diontae Johnson, but their idea of landing Brandon Aiyuk turned around ...

Lions Just Made Unlikely Ally With 1 of NFL's Top Contenders

Uncategory -7 giờ

The Detroit Lions have gained plenty of haters since becoming one of the top teams in the NFL. So, it is rather newsworthy when Detroit finds opposing powerhouses on the same footing on the biggest questions facing the league. That is exactly what ...

49ers Could Add 6-Time Pro Bowl WR to Fill in for Brandon Aiyuk

Uncategory -7 giờ

With Brandon Aiyuk recovering from injury, the San Francisco 49ers could sign Keenan Allen to fill in. The San Francisco 49ers wide receiving corps is a group with a ton of question marks surrounding it. At the fore is the injury status of Brandon Aiyuk, ...

The Shohei Ohtani update that should scare every contender in baseball

Uncategory -7 giờ

At 31-19, the Los Angeles Dodgers sit atop arguably the most difficult division in baseball, the NL West. The Padres, Giants and Diamondbacks all have a real postseason case as we near the end of May, while the Rockies are the exact ...

Red Sox’s Sam Kennedy Opens Up About Rafael Devers Meeting

Uncategory -7 giờ

The Red Sox seem to be in a good place after Rafael Devers met with the club’s top brass in Kansas City on May 9. Boston president and CEO Sam Kennedy, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and owner John Henry met with ...