Dan Campbell secured his first preseason win as Detroit Lions head coach against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, but awards like these are forgotten — and with good reason. What isn’t lost on Campbell and his coaching staff, however, is the effort and improvement in the team’s reserves from Week 1 to Week 2. Without many of their starters taking the field, Detroit’s depth shone on screen, and Pro Football Focus’ grades attest , which many saw a few days ago.
Here are some interesting numbers on Detroit’s defensive performance in their second preseason primer ahead of the 2022 season.
Defensive Heart
Top grade: Demetrius Taylor (80.8)
Low Score: Jason Cornell (51.4)
For the second straight week, Cornell posted the low defensive home grade. After impressing many early in camp, Cornell has yet to translate that success into the games. Not to say Cornell didn’t play well – he recorded a pressure against the Colts – but others on the defensive inside just made more noise.
Taylor consistently pushed into the Colts’ backfield and fired past offensive linemen — and their second-best run defender according to the PFF — with a quick first step on his way to the second-best mark in Detroit’s defense.
EDGE
Top grade: John Cominsky (79.3)
Low Score: James Houston IV (52.1)
You may be wondering why you don’t see Austin Bryant’s name for that top spot given the performance he had at Indy on Saturday. In addition to recording a team high-four pressure, Bryant also recorded four defensive stops per PFF, making his grade (78.0) still a very productive afternoon for arguably this year’s biggest breakout player this side of Malcolm Rodriguez reflects.
With Josh Paschal sidelined while recovering from hernia surgery, Detroit’s defense staff is looking for someone to step in and provide a productive running defense at this “Big DE” spot. Both Cominsky and Eric Banks fit the mold and both lads put in impressive performances on Saturday. Cominsky led the team in defensive stops (6), while Banks earned the third-highest defensive stop score on the team.
linebacker
Top grade: Derrick Barnes (77.2)
Low Score: Chris Board (41.1)
Detroit’s second preseason contest was all about getting back up, and one of the biggest catch-up performances came from would-be starter Derrick Barnes. After a tough game against the Atlanta Falcons, Barnes played a clean game, avoiding missed tackles and making three defensive stops — more than all other linebackers combined.
Board only played 11 snaps, but a gap in coverage that led to a 19-yard reception lowered Board’s mark. However, it’s worth noting that Board recorded a solid 71.3 special teams grade after being involved in key blocks for both big kick returns.
cornerbacks
Top grade: Jeff Okudah (75.6)
Low Score: Mark Gilbert (29.9)
It’s eye candy to see Okudah earning the top mark in that group — and the sixth-highest mark on defense — is not only a welcome sight, but also an indication that Okudah is starting to chase cornerback Will Harris for a job to overtake outside.
The Nickel Cornerback fight is an interesting one in Detroit. Last year’s starter AJ Parker is believed to have had an inside track for the job, and that may still be the case, but the Lions are clearly giving veteran Mike Hughes and rookie Chase Lucas a long, hard look at the court . Against Indianapolis, Parker received the best grade of the three (67.7) while giving up just one reception for five yards.
collateral
Top grade: JuJu Hughes (68.3)
Low Score: Kerby Joseph (39.8)
JuJu Hughes and Joseph each played all of the defensive snaps for Detroit on Saturday, and there’s plenty of tape to comb through the defense and see where Hughes and Joseph played their best ball. Both safeties moved a bit, and while Joseph delivered some solid tackles, JuJu Hughes played a better game overall, according to the PFF.