Detroit Lions Defensive Line: Suh-Per?

After spending two years as the defensive laughing stock of the NFL, have the Detroit Lions righted the ship? After giving up an average of 392.1 yards per game, including 126.6 on the ground, will the Lions' defensive changes be enough to give them a chance to compete?

With the second pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions selected Ndamukong Suh out of Nebraska. Suh was a complete force on the college level, racking up 24 sacks in his college career, 12 in his senior season. His breakout game came against Texas, sacking Colt McCoy 4 ½ times in a narrow loss. Suh has been considered one of the best prospects in years. Mel Kiper Jr actually went as far as saying the Suh was “maybe the most dominating defensive tackle I've seen in 32 years.”

Suh joins a new-look defensive line for the Detroit Lions, including newcomer, and fellow Cornhusker, Kyle Vanden Bosch, and Corey Williams. Vanden Bosch, a DE under Head Coach Jim Schwartz for multiple years, has 42.5 career sacks, including a 12.5 sack campaign in 2005, and 12 sacks in 2007. Vanden Bosch clearly struggled without Albert Haynesworth, totaling only 3 sacks in the 2009 season. Vanden Bosch also has 14 career forced fumbles. Corey Williams, a former Green Bay Packer and Cleveland Brown, was acquired in a trade, sending a 5^th round pick to the Browns for Williams and a 7^th. Williams has 21.5 career sacks, including 7 sacks in both 2006 and 2007. After moving from Green Bay's then 4-3 system to Cleveland's 3-4 system, Williams struggled, sacking the opposing QB only 4.5 times in two seasons. Along with 2^nd year player Sammie Lee Hill, Cliff Avril, and Jason Hunter, the Detroit Lions defensive line appears to be both deep and strong.

With the trade for CB Chris Houston, and the trade of Ernie Sims to Philadelphia, more trades and moves appear to be on the horizon for the Detroit Lions. Time will tell what Mayhew has in mind for the rest of the 2010 Draft.

And with a new defensive line to rival that of the Lion's NFC North opponents, the upcoming year appears to be promising for a new-look Detroit Lion defense.