How Kyle Van Noy Fits into an Already Elite Detroit Lions Defense

When the Detroit Lions take the field in Week 10, their top-ranked defense will have a shiny new toy. Second-round pick Kyle Van Noy will make his NFL debut as the Lions host the Miami Dolphins.

The long-awaited unveiling comes at a great time. Van Noy missed the first half of his rookie season after undergoing sports hernia surgery. He's been ready to go for weeks, but this is the first game he's eligible to play in.

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Good news: Kyle Van Noy is back to 100%. Bad news: He isn't eligible to play for another 6 weeks http://t.co/noQqkGD4XQ

— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) October 3, 2014"

It's fun to ponder the possibilities of how defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will deploy Van Noy. The BYU product is a real Swiss army knife, a versatile linebacker who can play all over the formation. As noted by Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, "He has practiced at outside and middle linebacker and as a stand-up rusher since his return". 

The versatility is why Detroit coveted him. As Chris Simms notes in the video below, Van Noy did a little bit of everything at BYU.

The rookie might not see a lot of action right away. In his Monday address to reporters, head coach Jim Caldwell was his typical vague self regarding Van Noy's role:

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Caldwell said Van Noy will play a role right away but how much of one will be determined in coming weeks.

— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) November 3, 2014"

His immediate impact will likely be most felt in nickel situations. Expect Van Noy to take over Tahir Whitehead's role next to DeAndre Levy when the opposing offense is expected to pass the ball.

The Lions deployed him as a coverage backer repeatedly in camp. Kent Lee Platte of SideLion Report wrote about Van Noy's efforts as the slot nickelback in practice sessions we watched together:

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On several occasion, over the course of multiple days, Kyle Van Noy has been asked to cover not only tight ends and running backs, but slot receivers.  It went about as well as you would expect it to, with Golden Tate  and Jeremy Ross getting some of their own at the expense of the rookie linebacker.  The Lions haven't stopped asking him to do it, however, and should those pieces fall together correctly, Teryl Austin's scheme goes from promising to terrifying.

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There is certainly room for improvement in coverage for Detroit's linebackers. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required) every Lions linebacker currently sports a negative rating in pass coverage. While I believe the grading is overly harsh on Levy, there is no question it's the biggest area for improvement in the front seven. 

Van Noy showed his coverage skills in the preseason, acquitting himself nicely with a positive 1.3 grade from PFF in his two games. 

Whitehead has consistently struggled to get proper depth in coverage. While he's been opportunistic with his two interceptions, the Saints and Falcons both found success targeting his realm with tight ends and running backs as well as receivers crossing behind him. 

Yet the bearded rookie can do more right off the bat than just cover. His ability to attack the run from the edge created many negative plays at BYU. Here's one from his game against Utah State in his senior season, courtesy Draft Breakdown. 

Draft Breakdown

He's aligned over the wide slot receiver, something that was not uncommon during his Cougars career. Because of his coverage competence, Van Noy can create mismatches versus the perimeter run like he did here. He's too big for wideouts to block and too quick for tight ends or linemen to slide out to wall him off. 

It's worth noting the corollary roster move Detroit made while activating Van Noy. It released safety Jerome Couplin over the weekend instead of another linebacker. One way to read that is Van Noy will fill the coverage role and crash the run from the outside just as the defensive backs typically do in Austin's defense. 

Van Noy, Levy and Whitehead give the Lions one of the quickest, most versatile linebacker trios in the league. Adding the speedy rookie into the mix gives the top-ranked Lions defense a real boost at a time where many teams are piling up personnel losses due to injury.