​  Last season, the Lions’ defense was one of the weaker aspects of their team. They dealt with numerous injuries, a first-time defensive coordinator, and inconsistent play from several starters. If the Detroit Lions can remain healthy all season long, I believe they could finish with a top-10 defense.The biggest factor in all of this is likely the health of Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch. If both players can return and play the way they did at the beginning of last season, that will give Detroit a major boost. Another beneficial factor is that defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will be heading into his second season instead of his first. Sheppard will have a better understanding of the defense’s strengths and weaknesses, allowing him to build a more effective unit.The addition of Drew Petzing, the Lions’ new offensive coordinator, could also benefit the defense. Having a stronger offensive coordinator than John Morton should provide Sheppard with better competition during practice and help prepare the defense for opposing offenses.Detroit will also head into the season with one of the easier schedules in the NFL, facing teams like the Jets, Titans, and Cardinals, all of which were bottom-five teams last year. The Lions also bolstered their defense through the draft and free agency.Two starters left this offseason in Alex Anzalone and Amik Robertson. Detroit quickly replaced Robertson with Roger McCreary, who some might say is actually an upgrade. Anzalone’s departure will hurt, but not as much as fans expect. His play slowed down quite a bit last season. The Lions re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez and drafted Jimmy Rolder in the fourth round. Both will compete for Anzalones spot at linebacker.One of the biggest positional needs was defensive end. Although the Lions have Aidan Hutchinson, they needed someone on the opposite side. Al-Quadin Muhammad was solid for Detroit, but he wasn’t everything the Lions were looking for, and they let him walk in free agency. In comes veteran edge rusher DJ Wonnum, who has spent six seasons in the NFL and posted two seasons with eight sacks.Another addition was edge rusher Derrick Moore, whom Detroit selected in the second round. The Lions also added former first-round pick Payton Turner, who has had a slow and injury-plagued start to his career.While Branch is sidelined, the Lions added two safeties who could step up in his absence: Chuck Clark and Christian Izien. Clark should be a great veteran addition, while Izien is younger and has more room to grow.Overall, Detroit added eight free agents and drafted five defensive players. If the roster can stay healthy, there is a legitimate path for this defense to finish as a top-10 unit—or even better.      ​Read More