Dan Campbell has hired some bright offensive minds this offseason. Is it time to add some brainpower on defense?
The Lions went young -- but not inexperienced -- with their hires on offense. New coordinator Drew Petzing and new high-ranking assistant Mike Kafka are both 38 and have called plays for multiple seasons in the NFL. Campbell is also still seeking a tight ends coach to replace Tyler Roehl who left after one season to become offensive coordinator at Iowa State.
With Kelvin Sheppard staying on as defensive coordinator after a rocky first season on the job, the Lions could benefit from adding a veteran assistant to help Sheppard navigate the unforeseen challenges of a season and even the twists and turns of a single game. A fresh perspective could also sharpen the weekly game-planning process. Collaboration on Campbell's staff has been a key component of the Lions' winning culture.
Detroit's defense played well this season when (mostly) healthy, but Sheppard struggled to come up with the right adjustments amid injuries in the secondary, while the Lions' typically stout run defense was gouged down the stretch. Sheppard also got meanuvered, at times, by veteran quarterbacks before the snap, notably Aaron Rodgers in the Lions' crushing loss to the Steelers in Week 16.
Over the first 10 games, the Lions allowed an average of 21.6 points and 4.9 yards per play. They allowed 28.1 points per game, 6.0 yards per play and nearly 100 more yards per game over the final seven.
An experienced defensive mind could challenge some of Sheppard's ideas, provide healthy pushback on certain aspects of a game plan and prepare him for potential countermoves by the opponent. In other words, he could help the Lions' defense stay a step ahead, or at least in stride with the offense.
Some possible candidates for such a role:
Chuck Pagano
This one makes a lot of sense. Pagano was out of coaching for four years after a successful stint as defensive coordinator for the Bears, retiring for family reasons after 20 years in the NFL and 35 years on the sidelines. He got the itch and returned as a senior defensive assistant/secondary coach with the Ravens last year to help young coordinator Zach Orr, a former linebacker and then linebackers coach in Baltimore who quickly climbed the ladder to defensive coordinator and was entering his second season on the job. Sound familiar?
That mirrors Sheppard's rise in Detroit. And Sheppard considers Pagano one of his main mentors, having played for him when Pagano was head coach of the Colts. In fact, after Pagano made his surprise return to coaching last year, "I told him, if that fire was still lit, I wish he would’ve told me," Sheppard said. "I would’ve tried to bring him to Detroit." Maybe he still can, and still will, a year later.
Pagano, 65, has significant head coaching and coordinating/play-calling experience in the NFL and a long history as a secondary coach, having played safety in college. It's not yet clear if he'll stay on staff in Baltimore under new Ravens head coach Jesse Minter.
Steve Wilks
Fair to say this would not be as well received as Pagano. Wilks was just fired as defensive coordinator of the Jets after Aaron Glenn's tumultuous first season as head coach. Of course, therein lies a connection to Campbell and Sheppard, the latter of whom was groomed by Glenn in Detroit. And the way Wilks' tenure ended with the Jets, he likely won't get another coordinator opportunity this hiring cycle. A rehabilitation stop with the Lions could serve both sides well.
Wilks, 56, has three stints as an NFL defensive coordinator with the Jets, 49ers (2023) and Browns (2019) and was interim head coach of the Panthers in 2022 when they beat the Lions so badly that Campbell told Wilks when they shook hands after the game, "That was an absolute ass-kicking! That's a f**king great job! Seriously." Wilks had the NFL's third-ranked scoring defense with the 49ers the following season when they reached the Super Bowl at the Lions' expense, but was let go over scheme differences with 49es head coach Kyle Shanahan.
John Chavis
A lesser-known name here, but a big influence on Sheppard, per Justin Rogers on the Lions Collective podcast. Chavis, known as The Chief, coached Sheppard for two seasons as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at LSU. He went on to hold the same position for multiple seasons at Texas A&M, Arkansas and most recently the Birmingham Stallions of the UFL.
Teryl Austin
On the flipside, a well-known name in these parts. Defensive coordinator of the Lions from 2014-17, Austin spent the past four seasons in the same role with the Steelers. He was just replaced after the departure of head coach Mike Tomlin and could be looking for a gig next season.
Austin, 60, coordinated three top-10 scoring defenses in Pittsburgh before his unit regressed this season. He was well respected within the building throughout his time with the Lions and has spent more than 20 years coaching defense in the NFL.
He served as senior defensive assistant/secondary coach in his first two seasons with the Steelers before the promotion to coordinator, so he might be open to a similar role in Detroit before pursuing another DC job in the next hiring cycle.