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Lions 2022 Roster Bubble: Defense

Following the first Detroit Lions preseason game, here are players on defense who are facing an uphill climb earning a roster spot.

The Detroit Lions emphasis on defense has been increasing the aggressiveness along the defensive line in order to decrease the amount of time opposing quarterbacks have to make plays

Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn will have plenty to correct after watching film of the defensive performance against the Atlanta Falcons

At times, the defense struggled with tackling, setting the edges and properly maintaining containment on rushes

With the lack of practice against mobile quarterbacks, both Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder were able to elude the rush effectively due to backside containment collapsing. 

Here is a look at members of the defense who need to perform at a significantly higher level the next two preseason games. 

Defensive linemen

Roster bubble: Bruce Hector, Demetrius Taylor, James Houston, Eric Banks

Houston, Detroit's sixth round draft pick in 2022, played 17 snaps against the Atlanta Falcons. 

While he has flashed potential, he has a long way to go in order to bump others down in order to earn a roster spot. 

Detroit's defensive line still could add more girth, according to head coach Dan Campbell. 

“I do think that we may need a little bit more girth up front," he recently told reporters. "I wouldn’t say that we’re not looking for that or won’t be.”

Linebackers

Roster bubble: Shaun Dion-Hamilton, Jarrad Davis, Josh Woods

Anthony Pittman has caught the attention of the coaching staff due to his versatility and value on special teams

Despite having a renewed attitude about playing football, Davis does not seem to have done enough to beat out Pittman and rookie Malcolm Rodriguez. 

The team could keep five linebackers, but Davis does not have the same special teams value as others he is competing with for a roster spot. 

Defensive backs

Roster bubble: Mike Hughes, Brady Breeze, Mark Gilbert, Cedric Boswell, JuJu Hughes, Saivion Smith

It will be very interesting to see how many defensive backs the Lions choose to keep on the roster. 

Some projections have the team keeping 11, while others could see 12 defensive backs make the team. 

Veteran Mike Hughes is already on his third team in his young career. 

The former first round draft pick signed with Detroit this offseason, after a stint with the Chiefs

Unfortunately, the 25-year-old has not showcased enough in training camp to justify keeping him on the roster over other obvious needs. 

With the need for depth along the defensive line and the potential of Chase Lucas to learn all throughout his rookie season, Hughes might not make the initial 53-man roster.