The Lions have improved their defensive line, but PFF’s rating remains unexpected.
Outside of Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, the Lions’ pass rush was notoriously weak last season. This offseason, moves were made to address the issue, with defensive lineman DJ Reader and edge rusher Marcus Davenport joining free agency. Mekhi Wingo, a rookie defensive tackle selected in the sixth round, is also an intriguing prospect.
McNeill, who had his breakout last year, is a fan favorite at Pro Football Focus. They also praised the signing of Reader, naming McNeill and Reader the league’s top defensive tackle tandem. The Lions had one of the strongest run defenses in the league last year, and they should improve even more this year with Reader joining McNeill on the interior defensive line.
There are considerable concerns about the Lions’ defensive front. Can Davenport remain healthy? Will Josh Paschal remain healthy and emerge in his third season? Can James Houston become more than a pass rush specialist?
PFF gives the Lions’ defensive line a high ranking.
PFF’s positional rankings for the upcoming season included defensive line on Tuesday. Sam Monson ranked the Lions at number four…
“For a while, the Lions had Aidan Hutchinson and not much else on their defensive line. They will now deploy D.J. Reader, an improved Alim McNeill, and Marcus Davenport on his latest prove-it deal. This is certainly the greatest group the Lions have had surrounding Hutchinson, who tallied up 101 QB pressures last season and earned a 91.2 PFF pass-rushing grade.”
Last year, McNeill and Reader both got PFF pass rush grades in the top 15 among defensive tackles and in the top 25 overall. Prior to last year, Davenport had a pass rush grade of at least 73 in four consecutive seasons.
The Lions improved significantly in PFF’s defensive line rankings from 20th previous year. Time will tell whether the increased talent level around Hutchinson and McNeill produces results worthy of a top-five ranking, but there are plenty of reasons to be positive.
