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What to expect from newcomers in defense

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The Detroit Lions return eight of their 11 defensive starters from the team that went 12-5 and reached the NFC Championship Game last year, but they are expected to return this fall with a nearly completely revamped secondary and two new starters on the defensive line.

Here's what to expect from the newcomers in the rotation, as well as a projected defensive and special teams lineup to start the year.

New faces in defense and special teams

DT DJ Reader

Reader's playing time for this week's opener against the Los Angeles Rams is still uncertain, but he should soon be a fixture as the Lions' nose tackle. He's a massive run stopper who meshes well with Alim McNeill in the middle of the Lions' defensive line. Reader has never been a big sack producer — he had two in 14 games with the Cincinnati Bengals last year — and he's returning from a torn quadriceps tendon that ended his 2023 season early. But he keeps defenders busy and pokes into the pocket and is a clear improvement over the nose tackle the Lions had last year in their second-best rush defense.

DE Marcus Davenport

Davenport, like most of the Lions' new additions, has a long injury history to watch. The 27-year-old edge rusher was only able to play in four games last season due to an ankle injury that required surgery and has only played more than 13 games once in his career. He's expected to start at defensive end alongside Aidan Hutchinson, and while he's never been a big sack producer – he has 23½ sacks in 67 career games – he's a strong run defender who can get to the quarterback. Six sacks seems like a reasonable expectation for this year. Anything less means he's likely had trouble staying on the field.

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CB Carlton Davis

The Lions have made it their mission to overhaul their secondary this offseason, and Davis was the first of four major additions to arrive in a trade from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March. He allowed 8.8 yards per attempt last season, which is a career-high, according to Pro Football Reference, but his length and physicality are a perfect fit for the Lions' defense. According to Pro Football Focus, Davis did not allow a touchdown in man coverage last season and should be the Lions' No. 1 cornerback this fall. He is in the final year of his contract and has said he wouldn't mind staying in Detroit, but he will likely need a strong season to make that happen.

CB Terrion Arnold

Arnold missed part of training camp due to a pectoral injury that defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said could limit his role early in the season, but the Lions traded up for Arnold in the first round of the draft because they believed he could be a long-term solution to their cornerback woes. Like Davis, Arnold is big and physical and thrives in man coverage. Rooky cornerbacks often have a lot of growing pains early in their careers, so things may not always be smooth sailing for Arnold this season. But playing alongside Davis should give him time to settle in before he develops into what the Lions hope will be a game-changing career.

CB Amik Robertson

The Lions used the trade (Davis), the draft (Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw) and the free agent routes to improve their secondary this offseason, signing Robertson to a two-year contract in March. Robertson (5'10″, 195 pounds) doesn't have the size of some of the Lions' other new additions, but he's a versatile cover man who can be flexible on the outside or cover receivers in the slot. Most likely, Robertson will open the season as the Lions' starting slot cornerback, while Brian Branch will play more as a true safety. He has two interceptions in each of the last two seasons and will be tested early by good slot receivers like the Rams' Cooper Kupp, the Bucs' Chris Godwin and the Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

CB Ennis Rakestraw

Rakestraw, a second-round pick in April's draft, missed time this summer due to injury — like all of his fellow new cornerbacks — and spent much of training camp working behind Robertson in the slot when he was on the field. Rakestraw may not play a big role on defense in Week 1 based solely on the numbers, but he'll likely be in the rotation at some point this year. The Lions have enough depth and versatility in the secondary that they don't need to rush Rakestraw, but he's good enough to push for playing time.

Jake Bates

The Lions are banking on young players at two of their three specialty positions: Bates will handle kicking duties and undrafted free agent Hogan Hatten will take over the long snapper role. Bates has a massive leg; in games for the Michigan Panthers this spring, he has made several kicks of over 60 yards. But he was inconsistent in training camp, missing one of his four extra-point attempts in the preseason. The Lions expect some ups and downs with their kicker this season and are willing to live with the inconsistency. That's a dangerous balancing act for a Super Bowl-caliber team, but the Lions are banking on their young kicker to move forward.

Depth Chart

defense

DE Aidan Hutchinson, Josh Paschal

DT Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike

DT DJ Reader, Mekhi Wingo

DE Marcus Davenport, James Houston

LB Jack Campbell, Jalen Reeves-Maybin

Linebackers Alex Anzalone, Derrick Barnes

CB Carlton Davis, Khalil Dorsey

CB Terrion Arnold, Kindle Vildor

S Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu

S Brian Branch, Brandon Joseph

NB Amik Robertson, Ennis Rakestraw Jr.

Special teams

Jake Bates

Jack Fox

LS Hogan Hatten

KR Kalif Raymond, Sione Vaki

PR Caliph Raymond, Isaiah Williams

Contact Dave Birkett: [email protected]Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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