Detroit Lions Defense: 7 Players To Watch Vs. Washington Commanders In Preseason Week 2

Detroit Lions Defensive Players To Watch Vs. Washington Commanders In Preseason Week 2, Including Key Roster Battles At Linebacker, EDGE and Interior Defensive Line.

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Detroit—Cincinnati gave the Lions their first live look at several young defenders competing for rotational roles, special-teams jobs and the final spots on the 53-man roster. Washington gives Detroit another look before time runs out for players on the bubble.

The edge room is especially crowded. Derrick Moore returns after missing the opener, Eric O’Neill continues making plays, Anthony Lucas received one of the heaviest workloads on the defense, and the linebacker competition could ultimately be decided as much by special teams as defensive snaps.

These are the seven defensive players I’ll be watching closest - plus two bonus players on the bubble.

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1. LB JOE BACHIE

Joe Bachie played 27 defensive snaps against Cincinnati and another 14 on special teams, where he recorded one tackle. Damone Clark’s injury has opened another path to the roster, leaving Bachie, Troy Reeder, Erick Hunter and Amen Ogbongbemiga competing for limited linebacker spots.

Bachie’s advantage is experience. He can play MIKE, communicate the defense and handle the green dot if Detroit needs him. Dave Fipp also identified Bachie among the players who caught his attention in the kicking game.

Against Washington, Bachie needs to show that his experience still provides enough defensive value to separate from younger competition. Dependability is Bachie’s strongest argument for the final linebacker spot.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• RUN-FIT DISCIPLINE

• GREEN-DOT COMMUNICATION

• OPEN-FIELD TACKLING

• SPECIAL-TEAMS PRODUCTION

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2. EDGE DERRICK MOORE

Derrick Moore did not play against Cincinnati because of the groin injury that cost him part of training camp. Since returning, the second-round pick has produced his best stretch of work, generating sacks and pressures while Detroit has moved him around the defensive front.

The Lions have rushed Moore from the edge, reduced him inside to three-technique and incorporated him into stunts and twists. Moore said playing in the preseason will help him get back into rhythm after missing two weeks and expose him to different competition and blocking looks.

The pass-rush ability has already shown up in practice. Washington is the first opportunity to evaluate how much Detroit can trust him before obvious passing downs. If Moore holds up against the run, Kelvin Sheppard can use him in far more situations than third-down packages.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• EDGE-SETTING

• OUTSIDE LEVERAGE

• RUN-BLOCK DEFEATS

• SPEED-TO-POWER

• INSIDE PASS-RUSH FLEXIBILITY

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3. EDGE ERIC O’NEILL

Eric O’Neill played 38 defensive snaps against Cincinnati and produced one of Detroit’s better early pressures when he beat the protection and hit Joe Burrow, forcing a third-down incompletion.

The production continued after the opener. O’Neill returned an interception for a touchdown during Detroit’s intrasquad scrimmage and followed it with a sack in the next practice.

The question now is where the undersized edge defender fits. Detroit needs to know whether O’Neill can handle enough responsibilities outside obvious pass-rush situations to justify one of the final defensive roster spots.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• EDGE STRENGTH

• PASS-RUSH COUNTERS

• MULTIPLE ALIGNMENTS

• PURSUIT

• SPECIAL-TEAMS VALUE

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4. EDGE ANTHONY LUCAS

Anthony Lucas played 50 defensive snaps against Cincinnati, approximately 71 percent of Detroit’s defensive workload and more than any other Lions edge defender. That snap total gave Detroit a large sample. What it did not produce was one defining play that separated Lucas from a crowded position group.

At 6-foot-5, Lucas gives Detroit the length and athleticism the organization targeted when rebuilding its edge room. The next step is converting those traits into more disruption. Detroit has already given Lucas the opportunity. Against Washington, he needs to create more production with it.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• LENGTH AT CONTACT

• EDGE CONTROL

• PASS-RUSH COUNTER

• QUARTERBACK PRESSURE

• SPECIAL-TEAMS CONTRIBUTION

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5. LB ERICK HUNTER

Erick Hunter played 43 defensive snaps and another 12 on special teams against Cincinnati. The athletic ability showed, but so did some of the inconsistency expected from an undrafted rookie learning NFL run fits, coverage responsibilities and special-teams assignments.

Campbell praised Hunter’s approach during camp.

“He’s athletic and he takes notes, he listens, he works his tail off in practice.”

Hunter does not need another splash play to prove he has upside. His next step is eliminating the assignment errors that can turn a missed run fit into an explosive gain or compromise a special-teams unit.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• ASSIGNMENT DISCIPLINE

• RUN-FIT ACCURACY

• COVERAGE SPACING

• TACKLING

• SPECIAL-TEAMS EXECUTION

If the athletic flashes remain while the mistakes decrease, Hunter can put real pressure on the veterans competing for the same job.

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6. DT TYRE WEST

Tyre West received only four defensive snaps against Cincinnati. That usage left Detroit with very little game tape to evaluate while several other defensive linemen received 30, 40 or even 50 snaps.

The interior competition has also become more difficult. Skyler Gill-Howard produced pressure in the opener, while other defensive tackles have continued receiving significant opportunities throughout camp. West needs to force his way into a larger snap share against Washington—and produce a reason to keep expanding his workload.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• LOW PAD LEVEL

• GAP CONTROL

• DOUBLE-TEAM ANCHOR

• INTERIOR DISPLACEMENT

• BLOCK DESTRUCTION

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7. CB EKOW BOYE-DOE

Ekow Boye-Doe was not with Detroit for the Cincinnati game. The Lions signed him after injuries continued thinning the secondary, leaving him less than a week to learn Kelvin Sheppard’s defense before facing Washington. That puts the mental part of the position under immediate evaluation.

Detroit is expected to use more zone coverage, pattern matching and interchangeable defensive backs. Boye-Doe has to process motions, route exchanges and leverage rules quickly enough to avoid communication breakdowns. Detroit may have an opening in the secondary if Rakestraw is out for any length of time.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• MOTION COMMUNICATION

• ZONE-MATCH RESPONSIBILITIES

• ROUTE EXCHANGES

• PERIMETER TACKLING

• SPECIAL-TEAMS VALUE

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ON THE BUBBLE — BONUS WATCH

CB KHALIL DORSEY

Khalil Dorsey played only 16 defensive snaps against Cincinnati, leaving special teams as the strongest part of his roster argument. He already has experience in Detroit’s kicking game, but Dave Fipp has emphasized that players near the bottom of the roster generally need to contribute in more than one phase unless their special-teams production is exceptional.

I had Dorsey off my initial 53-man roster. With Rakestraw likely not playing Saturday—he should see an increased snap load. If Dorsey can provide trustworthy outside-corner depth while maintaining his special-teams value, his path to the 53 becomes much stronger.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• VERTICAL COVERAGE

• PERIMETER TACKLING

• ZONE DISCIPLINE

• SPECIAL-TEAMS RELIABILITY

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DT SKYLER GILL-HOWARD

Skyler Gill-Howard earned another look after producing three pressures on 38 defensive snaps against Cincinnati. His best rep came through effort. Gill-Howard chased Josh Johnson down from behind after initially being held, helping force Cincinnati to settle for a field goal. Campbell later identified the chase as one of his favorite plays from the game.

The opener established that Gill-Howard’s interior quickness can create pressure against NFL offensive linemen. Washington will test the other half of his game. Gill-Howard has shown he can penetrate. If he proves he can hold his ground against the run, his case for rotational defensive snaps becomes much stronger.

Having made my initial 53-man roster as the 53rd man in—this week will solidify that placement if Gill-Howard has another productive day.

Areas Of Improvement To Watch This Week

• DOUBLE-TEAM ANCHOR

• GAP INTEGRITY

• HAND PLACEMENT

• INTERIOR COUNTERS

• RUN-GAME STRENGTH

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ROCK’S THE 7 ON 7 READ

Detroit’s final defensive roster spots will favor players who can handle more than one responsibility without creating a weakness somewhere else.

That means edge defenders who can rush the passer and survive the run, linebackers who can execute defensively while contributing on special teams, and defensive backs who can handle multiple coverage responsibilities without communication breakdowns.

The talent is there across several of these competitions. Washington should help determine which players Detroit can actually trust with regular-season snaps.

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RECOMMENDED READS

• Training Camp Day 2 Observations

• Training Camp Day 1 Observations

• Detroit Lions Roster Shakeup Day 1

• Brutal Test For Lions Safety Room

• Brad Holmes Mastering Of The NFL Draft

• NFC North Index Rankings

• Detroit Lions minicamp 13 stories

• Brad Holmes plays it smart

• The Detroit Lions have something

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