Defense On Deck – Detroit Lions 2024 Draft Profile

A game away from the Super Bowl…That’s how the Detroit Lions season ended in 2023-24. They now look to bolster an already talented roster with young pieces that can get them over the hump. They won the NFC North behind an electric offense, and a tenacious defense that used a defensive back by committee approach.

They will need to bolster the ranks to compete in what is a very tough NFC  and the draft is the perfect platform to do so. 

 

Kamari Lassiter, CB, Georgia

Kris Jenkins, DL, Michigan

Jermaine Burton, WR, Alabama

 

The Lions need to get a lead man at the cornerback position for this defensive unit to really flourish. Names like Will Harris, Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs all fall into the “serviceable” category but aren’t elite. With the 29th overall pick in the draft their options are vast and one name they could target is Kamari Lassiter.

Lassiter is a lockdown perimeter corner with elite traits for the position. He possesses great hips and transitional quickness that allow him to cover short to intermediate routes with relative ease. His hand placement and ball tracking on deep routes are where he will  shine the most. He will struggle against more physically imposing receivers in bump-and-run, but can remedy that in off-man. Lassiter can walk in to Detroit as the CB1 day one for a team that needs one desperately.

The pass rush works in tandem with the secondary, and the Lions are good at that spot. Where they do need a little help is in depth and run defense. This front office could go back to the Michigan well here and take Kris Jenkins on day two.

Jenkins offers a player that like his former teammate, Aidan Hutchinson, can move around the defensive line and cause matchup issues. He is a run stuffer with a solid base and is hard to move when anchoring. He can pass rush from the interior or edge and is relentless in pursuit of the ball carrier. If this Lions’ defense gets another chess piece to move around that dangerous defensive front, it could bode well for them and free up Hutchinson to more 1-on-1 matchups.

Outside of the defense the offense needs some more weapons. Sam LaPorta was a hit and Detroit could look to add another twitchy athlete to this passing attack.

Grabbing a receiver like Jermaine Burton would give the Lions a solid receiver with big play ability. Burton has game breaking speed coupled with elusive route running skills and solid hands. He shows good awareness when working against zone coverage, consistently giving his quarterback an open target by sitting down in open zones. Having a player like Burton alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown would be a matchup nightmare for an opposing secondary.

The Lions have to work this draft to improve the holes they have on defense, but also get more potent on offense. They have four picks in the top 100, and have been able to find gems in the past. This draft should be no different.