Detroit Lions Defensive Line Has Exceeded Expectations

The Detroit Lions’ defense has been one of the league's worst units through the first five weeks of the season. Yet, not all has been bad for defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's unit.

The defensive line, for one, has been quite reliable. And EDGE Aidan Hutchinson and interior defensive lineman Alim McNeill have arguably been the defense's most consistent performers.

Hutchinson has continued his steady play from seasons past, and continues to wreak havoc against opposing quarterbacks on a weekly basis.

He's generated the second-most pressures of any defender in the NFL this season (32). Plus, he's recorded the second-best Pro Football Focus overall grade among 106 qualified EDGE defenders (91.4), along with the highest pass-rush mark at the position (91.1).

The fifth-year pro is the Lions’ best defensive player and one of the most prolific pass-rushers in the game today. And he doesn't appear to be on the verge of slowing down anytime soon.

While Hutchinson's production has become a given, it wasn't quite as big of a certainty with McNeill entering the 2026 campaign.

The interior defender spent the majority of the 2025 season on the sideline recovering from a torn ACL. And when he did return to play, he wasn't exactly effective. In fact, he proved to be much more of a liability than a reliable contributor to Sheppard's defense. He generated just 23 total pressures and a single sack in 10 games a season ago, earning a measly PFF overall grade of 52.2.

Luckily for Dan Campbell's squad, McNeill has bounced back in a major way this season. The 26-year-old has already amassed 3.5 sacks and the same number of pressures he did a season ago. Additionally, his 23 pressures rank first among 133 qualified interior defensive linemen, and his PFF overall grade of 79.4 ranks ninth at the position.

McNeill is back to his productive ways, and it's been a godsend for Detroit's defensive line through the season's first five games.

While Hutchinson and McNeill have carried the D-line, it has also received production from a couple of unsung heroes: rookie interior lineman Skyler Gill-Howard and veteran EDGE D.J. Wonnum.

Gill-Howard, a sixth-round pick of the Lions this past April, has been a pleasant surprise for Detroit thus far in 2026.

Quite notably, he's been fairly proficient at getting after the quarterback, with 13 pressures to his name (the most among all rookie interior defensive linemen). That figure also ranks third among all first-year players.

Then, there's Wonnum, who has compiled five sacks, tied for fourth-most in the NFL and two more than he produced all of last season. And for his performance, he's earned a pass-rush grade of 65.5, ranking 43rd among all qualified EDGEs.

Through the collective efforts of these aforementioned linemen, the Lions have secured the most sacks in the NFL through five weeks (20.0).

So, even in an overwhelmingly disappointing season so far for the defense, all has not been lost. Detroit's pass-rush department, spearheaded by the defensive line, has managed to be productive, and has undeniably exceeded preseason expectations.

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