It’s no surprise to Detroit Lions fans that the play of their front seven wasn’t up to snuff in 2018. While the sack numbers tell a different story (43, 11th most), all it takes is 10 minutes of tape watching to see that Detroit’s inability to create constant pressure was a big reason for their defensive problems, especially earlier in the year.
This week Pro Football Focus confirms those concerns. They ranked all 32 teams’ front seven players (defensive linemen and linebackers), and let’s just say the Lions didn’t grade out particularly well. According to the analytics website, the Lions front seven ranked second-to-last in NFL.