Lions' Midseason Grades: Defense Proves To Be Achilles' Heel

The Lions' defense has been subpar in the first half of the season.

Detroit's defense has primarily performed like a subpar unit through the team's first nine games in 2022. In fact, thus far this season, the Lions have allowed a league-worst 264 points (29.3 points/game). 

Without further ado, here are All Lions' first-half grades for the team's position groups on the defensive side of the ball. 

Defensive line: D 

Rookie EDGE Aidan Hutchinson has been the star of this position group through Detroit's first nine games this season. 

The 2022 No. 2 overall pick has started each contest, and has amassed 5.5 sacks and 10 total QB hits, to go along with an interception and a single pass defensed. His lone pick came in Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers. 

Hutchinson also already owns a three-sack game, which came in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. 

The Michigan product is no finished product, and still has some cleaning up to do from both a pass-rushing and run-stopping standpoint. However, he's shown enough to say that the Lions wisely invested in him with the No. 2 pick. 

At the opposite EDGE spot, Detroit has received subpar production from veteran Charles Harris. Harris has played in just six games, and has produced one sack, after recording a career-best 7.5 sacks in 2021. 

Meanwhile, fellow defensive lineman Michael Brockers, an experienced player like Harris, has been a major disappointment, and hasn't logged a single snap since Week 5 against the New England Patriots. 

The subpar play of the aforementioned vets has made it even more vital for Detroit's young defensive linemen to perform. 

Josh Paschal, a second-round pick of the Lions this past April, made his NFL debut in Week 7 against the Dallas Cowboys. He hasn't exactly lit up the statbook, but he has recorded a couple QB hits in the four games he's suited up in.

Meanwhile, fellow youngster Alim McNeill, a second-year pro, has started in each game of the Lions' 2022 campaign, and like Paschal, has been learning on the job. He's already got some run-stopping skills, and Detroit hopes he becomes an even more competent run-stuffing presence at nose tackle moving forward. 

Additionally, the play of fourth-year defensive end John Cominsky has been a nice development. He's done a solid job of generating pressures up to this point, and has amassed two QB hits and a sack in six games as a reserve. 

All in all, though, this has still been primarily a subpar position group. As a result, I'm going to give it a "D" for its efforts so far in 2022.

Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

Linebackers: C-

The linebackers group has consistently been one of the Achilles' heels of Detroit's defense through the first half of the 2022 season. 

On a weekly basis, it hasn't been nearly good enough in either stopping the run or covering pass-catchers. 

As for the positives, Alex Anzalone, the veteran leader of the bunch, is one of only five linebackers in the NFL this year with at least 70 tackles, a sack and one forced fumble. 

Additionally, Detroit has gotten a decent season out of rookie Malcolm Rodriguez, a sixth-round pick in the 2022 draft, and has recently received positive contributions from second-year pro Derrick Barnes. In fact, in Detroit's Week 9 win against the Packers, the Purdue product produced the best game of his NFL career. He finished the contest with a game-high 12 total tackles, to go along with a pass defensed and a sack. 

Once again, though, this group of players hasn't been the most reliable through the Lions' first nine games this year. 

As a result, I'm going to give it a "C-" for its first-half performance. 

Secondary: C 

Third-year cornerback Jeff Okudah has been the clear-cut best performer of this unit. The Ohio State product is on pace for a career-best campaign, and is coming off a week in which he recorded the first pick-six of his NFL career. 

In nine games this season, the 2020 No. 3 overall pick has produced 50 total tackles, an interception, five passes defensed and one forced fumble.

His impressive start to the year has squashed a lot of the "bust" talk surrounding Okudah that was prevalent prior to the start of the season. 

While the former Buckeyes defender has taken a step forward in his development, fellow corner Amani Oruwariye has done the very opposite.

Coming into the 2022 season, Oruwariye was expected to be the Lions' No. 1 cornerback. He was coming off a career-best year, in which he recorded career-high marks in the following: total tackles (57), interceptions (six) and passes defensed (11). 

He's, however, taken a huge step back in 2022, and has become a liability on the third level of Detroit's defense. It's gotten so bad for Oruwariye this season that he was a health scratch in Week 5 against the Patriots.

Subsequently, former safety Will Harris has taken over the starting corner job opposite Okudah. He's logged snaps in eight games this season, and has produced inconsistent results. He was, in fact, the Lions' fourth-lowest graded defender this past week against the Chicago Bears, per Pro Football Focus. He received a 47.9 mark for his efforts in the Week 10 contest.

Meanwhile, at safety, Detroit has dealt with the injury bug in a major way. Tracy Walker III, a captain for the Lions, suffered a season-ending Achilles' injury in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings. Additionally, second-year pro Ifeatu Melifonwu has battled multiple physical ailments throughout the '22 campaign (hamstring and ankle injuries), and has logged defensive snaps in just one contest (Week 5 against New England).

In Walker's absence, DeShon Elliott, an acquisition of Detroit general manager Brad Holmes this past offseason, has been the de facto leader of the team's safeties group. The fourth-year pro has put together a decent season, as he's compiled 57 total tackles, two passes defensed, an interception and a fumble recovery through eight games. 

Additionally, in recent weeks, safety Kerby Joseph, a third-round pick of the Lions in the 2022 NFL Draft, has emerged as a high-level performer for the team's secondary. 

The rookie defensive back has started every game for Dan Campbell's defense since Week 4, and has made some big-time plays. 

He's forced fumbles in back-to-back weeks, which came against the Cowboys and Miami Dolphins, respectively. Meanwhile, his coming out party occurred in Week 9 against Rodgers and the Packers. In the NFC North divisional tilt, he intercepted the future Pro Football Hall of Fame passer twice, and amassed a career-best 10 combined tackles. 

As good as Joseph has been, he hasn't been perfect. In fact, he was Detroit's worst-graded player, per PFF, in the team's Week 10 matchup with the Bears. 

Okudah has been the star of the secondary all year, and Joseph has had his fair share of moments, too, as noted above. 

However, as a whole, the position group has been mediocre at best. And, with that said, I'm giving the secondary a "C" grade for its first-half efforts.

Special teams: B-

The Lions haven't deployed punter Jack Fox or kicker Michael Badgley a ton so far this year. But, when they have, the two more often than not have executed their jobs. In fact, in four games with the Lions now, Badgley hasn't missed a field-goal attempt. He's five-for-five, with a long of 53 yards.

The only kicker who has missed field goals for Detroit this year is Austin Seibert. In three games with the Lions, he was three-for-five on field-goal attempts, and was subsequently waived by the team.

Meanwhile, Kalif Raymond has been the exclusive punt returner for Detroit this year, with 10 returns for 79 yards and zero scores. Additionally, Justin Jackson and Maurice Alexander have split kick-returning duties. Jackson has returned seven kicks for 179 yards and zero touchdowns, while Alexander has returned six kicks for 146 yards and no scores.

As a unit, I'm giving Detroit's special teams a "B-" mark for its performance in the first half.