Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions have shown a knack for developing unheralded pass rushers in recent years, with Kerry Hyder coming out of nowhere to lead the team with eight sacks last season and George Johnson logging the only six sacks of his seven-year career in 2014.

Perhaps that's why the Lions targeted two talented but lesser known defensive linemen at the start of free agency this year, Cornelius Washington and Akeem Spence.

"We look for the traits and personality, things of that nature, that fit in to what we try and get accomplished," Lions coach Jim Caldwell said at the owners meetings last week. "Some don’t always possess each and every one of them and we believe that our guys can, Teryl (Austin) and the rest of that group, can get them headed in the right direction and do the things that we require them to do. But we look at it intently and we make those assessments. And I do think without question that whatever (a player has) in them, they’re going to get out of him. And they do a tremendous job with that."

Related:

Cornelius Washington enjoyed sack of Detroit Lions' Matthew Stafford

New Detroit Lions DT Akeem Spence: 'Just good at what I do'

The Lions' success with otherwise anonymous pass rushers can be attributed to a number of things.

Austin's attacking scheme typically puts defensive linemen in prime pass-rushing positions, defensive line coach Kris Kocurek is widely regarded as one of the best at his craft in the NFL and the presence of double-team-demanding players, including Ziggy Ansah and Ndamukong Suh, has helped free up others for breakout seasons.

Neither Washington nor Spence has ever had more than three sacks in a season — they combined for 2.5 sacks last year — and both appear ticketed for rotational roles this fall.

Washington could start at left defensive end opposite Ansah, though both Hyder and Armonty Bryant return after solid 2016 campaigns, and Spence will vie for time as the third defensive tackle behind Haloti Ngata and A'Shawn Robinson.

Since Kocurek took over as the Lions' full-time defensive line coach in 2010, eight players have had career-high sack totals of five or more: Ansah, Suh, Hyder, Johnson, Lawrence Jackson, Turk McBride, Devin Taylor and Jason Jones (who tied his previous career best with the Tennessee Titans).

Could Washington or Spence be next?

"In a couple cases now you have to understand, too, that they might not all be playing the exact same schematics (with their previous team) that we do," Caldwell said. "I think that in both cases, guys have traits that we like that we think they’re going to be able to contribute for us."

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Download our Lions Xtra app for free on Apple and Android!



