Two years ago, Lions coach Matt Patricia implemented his 3-3-5 base defensive scheme in Detroit and with it came new concepts, roles, and position names.

Over the first year and a half, roles were clearly defined and the variation was minimal based on the personnel on the Lions roster. The addition of Jahlani Tavai changed things — and once he developed to a point that the coaching staff was comfortable with his abilities, it opened the playbook.

Linebacker roles

The MIKE and WILL are the easiest to recognize as they are positional names used in most schemes. In the Lions scheme, they are typically lined up off-the-ball and inside the tackle box (in between the left and right offensive tackles). The main difference between the two roles is that the MIKE typically has the green dot helmet (relays the play call to the defense) and lines up on the tight end side of the formation, while the WILL has more post-snap movement in their assignments.

The third linebacker role most commonly used in the Lions scheme is the JACK linebacker. The JACK will typically line up at the line-of-scrimmage outside the tackle box and can either rusher the passer (which they do roughly 85-percent of the time) or drop into coverage.

In the picture below, Jarrad Davis (40) is the MIKE, Christian Jones (52) is the WILL, and Devon Kennard (42) is the JACK.

Below is a variation of the Lions base defense, where the WILL (Jones, 52) pushes up to the line-of-scrimmage opposite the JACK. This is typically used against teams that have success running the ball, as it allows the defensive linemen to clog the middle and provides more lateral protection against the run.

From this WILL position, Jones can stuff the run, rush the passer, or drop into coverage, giving the defense the ability to disguise intentions. The downside is, it increases the MIKE’s responsibilities and leaves him more exposed, which is why you also see a safety (Tavon Wilson, 32) shift more inside to help out.

One more role to keep in mind is the SAM linebacker. The SAM isn’t used a significant amount by the Lions but in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings they used is a lot.

In the picture below, the Lions deploy four defensive linemen, with Jahlani Tavai (51) at the MIKE, Jones (52) at the WILL at the line-of-scrimmage, and Kennard (42) is the SAM. In most situations, the SAM acts in the same manner as the WILL, looking to stop the run first and drop into coverage in passing situations.

The linebacker roles expand from there but these are the basic concepts.

Player roles

In 2018, the Lions kept things fairly straight forward with Davis at the MIKE, Jones at the WILL, and Kennard at the JACK. The addition of Tavai allowed the Lions to expand the player’s roles.

To get a better understanding of role expansion, I charted where each of the Lions linebackers lined up pre-snap over the final eight weeks of the season. I chose Week 10 as a starting point for two reasons: first, it gave Tavai half a season to acclimate to the NFL, and second, Jarrad Davis saw a significant jump in grades from Pro Football Focus in this game.

To keep things as simple as possible, I have grouped the player pre-snap roles into four sections: MIKE, WILL/SAM, WILL/SAM at the line of scrimmage, and JACK. I kept WILL and SAM together because of the similarities in this scheme, while I differentiated between WILL/SAM and WILL/SAM at the line of scrimmage because of how this shift impacts the rest of the defense.

The results of my findings are below and the percentages attached are how many of that player’s snaps were at that position. I have also included Jalen Reeves-Maybin and Austin Bryant as they played important snaps over the final few games and are expected to contribute in 2020:

Davis still sees the majority of his snaps at MIKE, but the presence of Tavai has allowed him to test the waters at other positions and has led to more success. When he shifts to the WILL he has less responsibility and can be used to attack more with speed, arguably his best trait.

Kennard saw a similar percentage shift away from his primary responsibilities (rushing the passer from the JACK) and spent about 15-percent of his snaps playing in situations where he could be asked to cover. His coverage snap totals were much lower over the season than the rest of the Lions linebacker group, but for what it’s worth, he had to highest coverage grade, per PFF, among the group.

If you wondered why Jones got a mid-season extension, this snap distribution could be a big reason why. With the flexibility to play all four spots, Jones split his time between playing off-the-ball and at the line of scrimmage. Even if he doesn’t technically maintain a starting role in 2020 (with the rise of Tavai) his skill set makes him a valuable depth chess piece in this scheme.

Tavai possesses a hybridizing skill set that allows him to move through all four linebacker spots though he was mostly asked to hold roles that highlighted off-the-ball traits. His presence allows the other linebackers to expand their roles, and in turn, opens up other options at other positions.

After the four main linebackers, there are several other rostered players, but their roles are more clearly defined and limited.

Bryant is still getting his feet wet after missing most of the season on injured reserve, but when he was on the field, he mirrored Kennard’s role at JACK. At this point, he is a solid backup with developmental upside but he still has a lot to prove before he is able to take on a more significant role.

Reeves-Maybin is an off-the-ball linebacker only and plays a vital role on special teams. He is clearly ahead of the other off-the-ball/special teams linebackers, like Steve Longa, Jason Cabinda, and Christian Sam.

Anthony Pittman is a bit of a wildcard because, like Tavai, he has a ranging skill set that allows him to back up many positions and is quietly a sleeper for the 53-man roster if he continues his developmental arc.

Positional depth

At JACK linebacker there is clearly a one-two punch in Kennard and Bryant, and with Jones and Tavai’s abilities to also play at that spot, it is plenty deep with regards to roster depth.

At MIKE linebacker, Davis and Tavai can hold down virtually every snap, while having Reeves-Maybin as insurance also makes this a comfortable position with players in place.

At WILL no one player played over half their snaps there, but when you include the WILL at the line of scrimmage snaps, Jones is the obvious leader here. Tavai and Reeves-Maybin also see time in this role, rounding out the depth chart.

So with the six players highlighted here, the Lions have the players in place to enter next season with the confidence they can continue to expand their scheme — meaning if they don’t add another linebacker this offseason, it wouldn’t be over surprising.

What’s missing?

Here’s the question most Lions’ fans are interested in.

While the Lions have players in place to cover their linebacker roles, it’s clear they are shifting from players who have a static position to ones who are more fluid in their skill set.

It’s also not a great sign that their pass-rushing linebacker (Kennard) is also their highest-graded cover linebacker.

Therefore, if the Lions are going to add linebackers this offseason, it’s my belief that they will target players with positional fluidity and coverage skills.

That’s the main reason I have been so consistent in connecting the Lions with potential free agent Kamalei Correa (Titans), as well as Josh Uche (Michigan) and Zack Baun (Wisconsin) in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Patriots’ Kyle Van Noy would also fit this mold, but the chances of him returning to Detroit seem very slim.

At the end of the day, the Lions appear more comfortable with their linebacker situation than the fans are. But with only Tavai and Jones signed beyond the 2020 season and an apparent shift to players with a more fluid skill set, the Lions should be in the market for linebackers with a specific skill set this offseason.

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