After years of being the worst unit on an under-performing team, the Detroit Lions secondary finally stepped up in 2014. Last year they had the 13th-ranked passing defense, and although it wasn’t on the same level as their top-ranked rushing defense, it was extremely impressive to find the Lions in the top half of the NFL. But unlike other teams, the Lions did not rebuild this unit by signing a big name in free agency, but by slowly and carefully adding the pieces needed to make their secondary one of the better groups in the league.
The core of the unit are the team’s two safeties. Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo — despite not getting the attention of some of the other top NFL safeties — formed an impressive duo last season, proving to be a terror for quarterbacks and receivers league wide. Quin’s seven interceptions last season was an NFL best while Ihedigbo added four of his own. The 11 interceptions were the most among any starting safety tandem in the NFL in 2014. The one problem the Lions have at the safety position is the lack of depth. They have no true strong safety behind James Ihedigbo, and the only viable back up for Quin is Isa Abdul-Quddus.
The Lions cornerback unit is led by Darius Slay, an exciting player who is entering his third year in the NFL. After a lackluster rookie year, Slay emerged as the team’s best corner in 2014. He proved that he can keep up with some of the league’s best receivers in single coverage, including holding Dez Bryant to only two receptions in the Lions’ playoff game against the Cowboys. Stepping up for the team, he is the long-term replacement for Chris Houston, who was released last summer.
Across from Slay is Rashean Mathis, the veteran corner who arrived with Glover Quin in the summer of 2013. Mathis has not seen the same success over the past two years as Slay, but he has held his own on his side of the formation. At 34, however, he is not a long-term solution for the Lions. Behind Mathis and Slay, the Lions have four cornerbacks under the age of 25, including Quandre Diggs, an exciting prospect out of Texas who may be the future starter for the Lions.
The Lions have managed to rebuild their secondary from the ground up over the past two years, and the results are already showing. A team known for its big-name defensive linemen in recent memory, their secondary carried its own weight for an entire campaign. Darius Slay’s elite corner potential along with the promising prospects give the Detroit Lions defense a bright future.
Main Photo:
GREEN BAY, WI December 28- Free safety Glover Quin #27 of the Detroit Lions runs off of the bench celebrating after the Lions prevented the Green Bay Packers from scoring in their first possession in the first quarter of the NFL game at Lambeau Field on December 28, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)
