Detroit Lions' overhaul at LB done to complement Jarrad Davis

The Detroit Lions spent the early part of free agency overhauling their linebacking corps.

They signed Devon Kennard to a three-year contract to play rush linebacker. They added Christian Jones to presumably start at the other outside spot. They added depth to the position in Jonathan Freeny. And they continue to look for upgrades in the draft, hosting probable first-round pick Leighton Vander Esch on a top-30 visit this week.

But for all the work the Lions have put into the position, general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia remain steadfast that last year’s No. 1 choice, Jarrad Davis, has a bright future in the middle of their defense.

“We were down on the scouting trail and numerous people, numerous coaches, kind of pulled us aside and were just kind of raving about him a year removed from when we took him,” Quinn said at the Lions’ member summit earlier this week. “So I think in Matt’s scheme — Jarrad can play in any scheme, but I think it’s going to be really, his skill set is going to be exemplified in what we’re doing now.”

Davis started 14 games at middle linebacker as a rookie and finished last season on a high note after some midseason struggles.

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He opened the year as the Lions’ every-down linebacker, but hurt his neck in a Week 2 win over the New York Giants and had some notable issues in pass coverage.

The Lions replaced Davis with Tahir Whitehead in nickel and dime packages midway through the year, but Davis was back on the field in an every-down capacity for a 12-tackle, one-interception performance in a season-ending win over the Brett Hundley-led Green Bay Packers.

“It really did (click at the end of the season),” Quinn said. “I’d say the last four to five games of the season you really saw Jarrad Davis at his fullest, which stepping in, rookie middle linebacker, signal caller, he had a lot of things on his plate early in the season. Fought through an injury, missed a couple games there with the neck, then came back and we kind of took a few things off his plate to kind of get him back running again and I was really happy with how the year ended up.”

At 6 feet 1 and 238 pounds, Davis isn’t as big as the linebackers the Lions signed this offseason — Kennard is 6-4, 256 pounds, Jones is 6-3, 245 and Freeny is 6-2, 255 — and doesn’t have the same type of measurables as Vander Esche, who’s considered by some the top middle linebacker in this year’s draft.

But Davis has drawn comparisons to former New England Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo, and Patricia — who was Mayo's position coach when he was drafted and later his defensive coordinator — said the Lions’ offseason moves at linebacker were done to complement Davis and not replace him.

“Bob did a great job last year with Jarrad Davis and really having someone that’s an outstanding player, leader, very hard-working type of guy that can carry a lot as far as that’s concerned,” Patricia said. “We tried to make sure that we brought in some guys that we thought complemented him, complemented his skill set defensively, and he can do some of the things that we’re looking for.”

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