Edge rushers come in all shapes and sizes, and in coach Matt Patricia’s defensive scheme, the Detroit Lions will use a variety of players rotating roles not only from week-to-week, but often snap-to-snap.

This is the second installment of the series examining the Lions’ new defensive scheme. Previously, I examined the interior defensive line and I will make occasional references to that piece within this article.

In the previous piece, I explained why I believe the Lions will use a 3-3-5 base formation, and provided a rough pre-training camp depth chart using only the players I projected to make the roster in the OTAs edition of my Roster Stack:

There are two main types of edge rushers in this scheme: A down defensive end who typically operates out of the 7-technique (lining up outside the tight end), a Jack linebacker who is a hybrid rusher that can alternate between a linebacker and down defensive end roles.

In the base formation, these two edge rushers will line up on opposite sides of the interior defensive lineman, but they will move around in order to create confusion and gain matchup advantages.

For example, when the Lions use a more familiar 43 formation, the Jack will drop into an off-the-ball linebacker role, and a second down defensive end will be added to the front. Here’s a look at how the depth chart will change:

When the Lions’ switch to a 34 formation, the Jack can drop back into a role opposite the down defensive end or into a variation where they stack the edge rushers to create mismatches. Here’s an example of the stacked 34 look:

I like this formation because it forces the offensive tackle to account for the Jack (Devon Kennard) and gets the defensive end (Ziggy Ansah) into a 4i-technique spot (lined up on the offensive tackles inside shoulder) which will likely get him matched up against a guard where he should have an advantage.

This also puts Christian Jones in a more natural Sam linebacker role and Jalen Reeves-Maybin gets on the field at Will. I will elaborate more on the linebackers roles in an upcoming article.

Down Defensive End

As I previously noted, the down defensive end is a player who can line up outside at the 7-technique but is also capable of working inside in certain situations in order to gain a favorable matchup.

Coach Patricia likes to gain athletic advantages over the offense which makes players who can fill this position very valuable. On the current roster, the Lions have four players who fit this role: Ansah, Anthony Zettel, Kerry Hyder and Cornelius Washington. As of right now, I am projecting all four to make the final roster.

Ansah is the clear starter and athletically is a slightly better version of Chandler Jones who thrived in this role when he was in New England.

Anthony Zettel is likely to be Ansah’s primary backup and seems poised to occupy a starting role in 43 sets. While Ansah and Zettel will operate primarily with their hand in the dirt, one of the appealing traits they possess is their ability to also pass rush from a standing position.

Hyder has more proven pass-rushing talent than Zettel, but for now, I have him slotted third on the depth chart because of question marks surrounding his recovery from last years Achilles injury. If he’s healthy, he could find himself higher up on the depth chart.

Hyder hasn’t shown the ability to rush from a standing position, like Ansah and Zettel, but he was a 5-technique in college and I fully believe that is something he is capable of revisiting in this scheme.

Cornelius Washington is also a former 5-technique (during his time with the Chicago Bears) but he has also shown the range to rush from a standing linebacker position, although he wasn’t very good at it.

With Washington reportedly getting snaps all over the defensive line, including as far inside as nose tackle, his ability to be a chess piece will increase his value to the team, despite my ranking on the depth chart.

Note: Lions Wire’s Bryce Rossler wrote scouting reports on Zettel and Hyder if you are looking for more in-depth information on the reserve defensive ends.

Jack Linebacker

The Jack linebacker role is the key cog that makes Coach Patricia’s offense truly “multiple.”

This position requires players who can pass rush primarily from a standing position, while also having the range to put their hand in the dirt, as well as drop into coverage.

This player’s range to lineup all over the field, allows the defense to change formations without having to change the personnel on the field, thus disguising their intentions and confusing the offense.

Devon Kennard was the Lions’ priority free agent acquisition this offseason and looks primed to step into this vital role. Intelligence is critical for this position and Kennard has shown positive instincts in a similarly changing role last year with the New York Giants.

He understands angles and uses his length to be impactful as a pass rusher, has the strength to be an edge setter, but he is more of an impeder than a coverage specialist as a linebacker.

Who backs up Kennard is a mystery, but for now, I have Jeremiah Valoaga penciled in based on his usage last year and his ability to rush from a standing position. The Lions have also reportedly given the other undrafted free agent from last years team, Alex Barrett, time in the role.

The Lions also signed a pair of veteran free agents in Trevor Bates, who won the 2017 Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, and Cam Johnson, who didn’t play in the NFL last season but has five years experience as a 34 outside linebacker.

The name that is the most interesting to me is Chad Meredith, who has been standing out in OTAs.

In a recent Lions Wire article, I noted “instincts and length are Meredith’s strongest traits, where he uses both to track down the ball carrier and knock down passes on a regular basis. His small school experience is likely what led to him going undrafted and he may have a long learning curve before seeing the field in an NFL game, but the potential is there.”

Of all the backup options, Meredith’s experience in coverage and ability to rush the passer from multiple spots could be the defining factors in landing him a coveted spot on the 53-man roster.

Who wins this backup job is going to be one of the more interesting battles to watch at Lions training camp.

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