Getty Jeff Okudah chases down Kyler Murray during a 2020 game.
Though the Detroit Lions have attacked the offseason in a confident way, it’s impossible for the team to have checked off every single need they had in an elite way.
Detroit’s been earning high grades for their work this offseason, but even though this is the case, the team still does have a few glaring weaknesses on the roster according to some. One of the biggest seems to still be on defense, and specifically in the defensive backfield.
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While many have called linebacker the most glaring need the team has at this point in time heading into 2022, the defensive backfield is still seen as a potentially major weakness for the Lions heading into next season in the minds of others.
ESPN, along with Football Outsiders, put together a piece which delved into the biggest NFL roster weaknesses for teams after the 2022 draft. While the piece admits the Lions’ secondary “is not completely hopeless,” it lacks star or Pro Bowl potential, and concedes that it is full of “volatile propositions” for 2022.
A big reason this is the case? Jeff Okudah who is trying to rally from injury and is seen as a wildcard. The piece proclaims he “probably will never live up to his draft slot” while also knocking free agent signing Mike Hughes for being unable to “string together a few weeks of consistently good play.”
Add it up and that’s a lot of negatives about Detroit’s group on the back end for 2022. The site might be overstating things a bit in their analysis, but they are not wrong to have some concerns. The backfield will be a spot that the Lions will have to prove they have fixed as things play out early on this season.
Lions Cornerback Room Sees Improved Depth Overall
If there’s good news about the Lions’ current situation, it’s in the fact that the team will offer players a chance to come in and bust a narrative about this group being a weakness. There is a ton of competition at cornerback this year, with the likes of Jerry Jacobs, Bobby Price and AJ Parker ahead of him on the depth chart. Detroit also has a healthy Okudah expected to return, and added an intriguing veteran corner in Hughes this offseason. While Detroit did not select a player early in this draft, they have Ifeatu Melifonwu on the roster as a 2021 third-round pick, and added Chase Lucas in the 2022 seventh-round. All these players may add up to less opportunity in terms of numbers for others, but a chance for any one of those players to stand out and show they have the goods to become elite. The team may already have such a player in Amani Oruwariye.
Detroit has depth, but plenty of questions. This group will surely be put to the test early and often as it relates to trying to calm some of the outside fears over what could happen on the field this season.
Detroit Could Stand Another Backfield Addition
At this point in time, a common question revolves around what free agents would fit needy teams that could add an extra edge before summer begins. While there is some depth at cornerback, it’s tough not to agree that the Lions could use another addition. The team missed out on free agent James Bradberry, but could still find an intriguing addition in the form of a younger veteran player with upside like Kyle Fuller, Kevin King or Xavier Rhodes. Any of those players could add a bit of depth and spice to the back end of the team. King is the youngest of the group at 27, but Rhodes would offer the team some solid veteran pedigree given he was a former three-time Pro Bowl player and former first-team All-Pro in 2017.
Whether the Lions are satisfied with their defensive backfield or not remains to be seen, and will likely be an issue to watch through the summer into training camp. More players could be released by then, and if a bigger name comes loose, it might be wise to watch Detroit for an addition with questions like this still swirling.
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Lions’ Top Roster Hole Said to Have ‘Volatile Propositions’ for 2022