Last week we heard from offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. This week it was defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's turn to take questions from the media before Thursday's final OTA practice of the offseason.
Sheppard is entering his second season running Detroit's defense. There's a comfort level that comes with having one season under his belt and there's an expectation that unit will be better in 2026 given the additions and competition developing on that side of the football.
"He is just much more comfortable," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Sheppard entering his second season as DC. "I think he is much more comfortable, I think he's got a much better grasp of how he wants it to look, now he's coaching all of it, he's coaching the front, he's coaching the backers and he's coaching the back end, he sees it all.
"And that's what happens when you're able to do it, you go through a season, you go through the practices, you kind of key and diagnose yourself as a play caller and as a, 'Hey this is where we can get a little bit better'. I love where Shep is at right now."
Here are my five biggest takeaways from Sheppard's media session Thursday:
1. It's tough to evaluate the trench play along the offensive and defensive lines until the pads come on in training camp and the physicality ramps up. That said, Sheppard likes the early makeup along the edge of Detroit's defensive front.
He said it was important this offseason to add length on the edge. GM Brad Holmes certainly did that with players like DJ Wonnum (6-5), Payton Turner (6-6) and Anthony Lucas (6-5). All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson is 6-foot-7. Even rookie Derrick Moore has long arms and good length at 6-foot-3.
Sheppard said the competition in that room is going to be fierce come training camp. He thinks six or seven players are legitimately competing in that room for final roster spots heading into camp.