4 Positives for Lions' Defense Headed into 2021 Season
The Lions' defense was the definition of anemic a season ago.
It allowed franchise-worst marks in both total yards (6,716) and points (519) for a single season.
Subsequently, wholesale changes have been made to the defense, and are expected to continue to be made during next week's NFL Draft.
Yet, Detroit does possess some positives on the defensive side of the ball headed into the 2021 NFL season.
Let's take a look now at four of those positives.
DE Romeo Okwara
Okwara was clearly the best player on defense for the Lions a season ago, leading the team with 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 18 QB hits.
He was rewarded for his standout performance with a three-year, $39 million contract earlier in the offseason.
He's expected to be Detroit's most consistently productive performer once again in 2021.
© Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
DT Michael Brockers
Brockers, an offseason acquisition of the Lions, comes to Detroit after spending the first nine seasons of his NFL career with the Rams.
The veteran defensive lineman recorded 51 total tackles, five sacks and 10 QB hits in 2020.
The 30-year-old is expected to help anchor the defensive line along with Okwara this upcoming season.
New defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn
Detroit's defense, as noted above, clearly wasn't performing at the level it should have been a year ago under the leadership of ex-Lions head coach Matt Patricia and former defensive coordinator Cory Undlin.
So, Glenn was brought in by new Lions head man Dan Campbell. Glenn and Campbell spent time together in New Orleans, where Glenn had served as the team's defensive backs coach for the past five seasons.
Glenn, a former NFL defensive back himself, was a three-time Pro Bowler, and is expected to aid in the development of Detroit's young cornerbacks Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye.
Improved secondary
The Lions have made some moves to upgrade the secondary this offseason.
They've added cornerbacks Corn Elder and Quinton Dunbar via free agency, and also hired highly respected former L.A. Rams defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant to the same position on Campbell's staff.
Campbell & Co. are hoping that Pleasant will help Okudah bounce back from a rough rookie season, as well as help Oruwariye take another step forward in his career development.
Safety Dean Marlowe was also recently acquired through free agency.
These aforementioned personnel additions, along with the hiring of Pleasant, will hopefully revamp a secondary that direly needs it.
© Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
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