Lions had the 2 most disruptive defensive backs in 2023
Lions had the 2 most disruptive defensive backs in 2023
The 2023 Detroit Lions season certainly won’t be remembered for great defensive play. The team finished 23rd in points allowed, and they were particularly poor against the pass. Detroit allowed the sixth-most passing yards (4,205) and touchdowns (28) in the NFL.
However, there were some very promising individual performances from the Lions defense that should give fans optimism moving forward—even in Detroit’s high-criticized secondary.
James Foster from A to Z Sports highlighted this in a chart he posted to Twitter on Wednesday. In it, Foster took data—what he deemed “Impact Plays”—from Pro Football Focus and averaged how often a defensive back was making those impact plays per snap count. Here’s what counted as impact plays: pass breakups, interceptions, sacks, batted passes (at the line of scrimmage), forced fumbles, and defensive stops—which PFF defines as a tackle that results in a “failure” on offense.
Atop Foster’s list is Lions defensive back Brian Branch, who produced an impact play in 7.1 percent of his defensive snaps, nearly two percentage points higher than the next member of the secondary. Take a look:
Branch’s fantastic rookie season earned him six Defensive Rookie of the Year votes, finishing tied for fifth in voting.
What you don’t see on the chart above is any other Lions defensive back. However, one played well enough to make the list. You see, Foster set the minimum snaps at 600 for the season, and Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu just missed the cut after playing 535 snaps last year. Had he made the snap minimum, he actually would have finished second in impact player percentage, finishing the season with (per PFF): three pass breakups, two interceptions, six sacks, one forced fumble, and 18 defensive stops for an impact play percentage of 5.6%.
Melifonwu was, quite literally, a game-changer to end the season. While the Lions were bleeding yardage through the air, Melifonwu created opportunities for the defense to get off the field through both his instinctive coverage and serious pass rushing chops.
“Another outstanding performance,” coach Dan Campbell said after Detroit’s division-clinching win over the Vikings. “He’s not just out there playing football and solid performance. He’s a factor. He’s just getting better and better. He’s instinctive and you see the athletic ability. He plays physical. He’s just getting better and better, he really is.”
Of course, the Lions struggled defensively because of almost everyone else in the secondary. Detroit had serious coverage issues on the perimeter with their cornerbacks, as the team finished collectively 30th in PFF’s coverage grade.
However, the Lions spent a huge amount of offseason resources to fix that—adding four new players who could challenge for a starting spot. Carlton Davis was added via a trade, Amik Robertson was signed in free agency, and each of the Lions’ first two draft picks were spent on starting-caliber outside cornerbacks (Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.).
Combine the remodeled cornerback room with the disruptive play of Branch and Melifonwu, and we could see the Lions’ secondary take a huge jump in 2024.