The NFL is an adjustment league and the teams that enjoy consistent success can tailor their schemes to match the ever-changing landscape of their rosters from year to year.
The Detroit Lions played more base defense than any team in the NFL last season, but after losing some key pieces in free agency, particularly veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone and nickel cornerback Amik Robertson, Lions head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard are looking to make their scheme more versatile and adaptable, particularly on passing downs.
Campbell said at last week's Annual League Meetings he and Sheppard have built three different packages into Detroit's defense to be installed this spring that can help them maximize their personnel on defense.
"I told you guys at the combine I was back there with the defense, we were going through all those cut-ups from last year with Shep (Sheppard) and the staff. I love this now," Campbell said. "There's so many things that you take in, you're like, 'Alright, what do we do well? What do we not? Where do we go from here? This is who we lost. Here's some pieces that we added. What do we need?' And so really the way Shep's done it, which I love, is we've kind of given ourselves options."
Anzalone's ability to cover in the pass game allowed the Lions to keep three linebackers on the field on some passing downs in lieu of bringing in a fifth defensive back. The Lions played base defense a league-high 66 percent of the time last season and finished ninth in the NFL on third-down defense, holding opponents to just a 36.9 conversion percentage on the game's most important down.
Playing more base allows a defense to dictate matchups and personnel packages to the offense a little better while continuing to stay strong against the run, as the Lions' defense ranked in the top half of the league in run defense last year.
Veteran Malcolm Rodriguez could be in line to replace Anzalone at the WILL linebacker spot this fall. Campbell praised Rodriguez's versatility, but Rodriguez doesn't have the same track record of success as Anzalone as a pass defender. Opposing passers had a 110.4 rating when throwing at Rodriguez last year and a 101.4 rating over his first four seasons in the league. That rating was just 78.6 throwing at Anzalone last year and 88.7 for his career.
"We got kind of these three options a little bit as to where we can go with this," Campbell said. "It's still us, but it gives us, depending on who the other end is, OK, we got (DJ) Wonnum, do we draft somebody? What does it look like? Are we more of this four-down? Do we become more five-down? Do we become more nickel?"
Campbell said he loves playing base defense but not if they don't have the personnel to play it as effectively as they would like.
Detroit's nickel package will look different this season with Anzalone and Robertson no longer on the roster. Safety Brian Branch, a big matchup piece for Detroit in nickel, is coming off an Achilles injury and his availability for the start of next season is unclear.
View photos of NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah's updated ranking of his Top 50 prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.
No. 1 QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
No. 2 RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
No. 3 LB Sonny Styles, Ohio State
No. 4 EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
No. 5 EDGE Arvell Reese, Ohio State
No. 6 WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State
No. 7 EDGE Rueben Bain Jr., Miami
No. 8 CB Mansoor Delane, LSU
No. 9 S Caleb Downs, Ohio State
No. 10 OT Francis Mauigoa, Miami
No. 11 OL Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
No. 12 WR Makai Lemon, USC
No. 13 OL Spencer Fano, Utah
No. 14 TE Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
No. 15 CB Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
No. 16 S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo
No. 17 S Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
No. 18 WR Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
No. 19 OT Blake Miller, Clemson
No. 20 OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia
No. 21 WR Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
No. 22 OT Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
No. 23 EDGE Akheem Mesidor, Miami
No. 24 EDGE T.J. Parker, Clemson
No. 25 CB Colton Hood, Tennessee
No. 26 OT Caleb Lomu, Utah
No. 27 WR Denzel Boston, Washington
No. 28 EDGE Cashius Howell, Texas A&M
No. 29 WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
No. 30 LB CJ Allen, Georgia
No. 31 EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn
No. 32 LB Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
No. 33 DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
No. 34 CB Avieon Terrell, Clemson
No. 35 OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
No. 36 DT Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
No. 37 DT Peter Woods, Clemson
No. 38 QB Ty Simpson, Alabama
No. 39 RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
No. 40 CB Chris Johnson, San Diego State
No. 41 LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
No. 42 DT Caleb Banks, Florida
No. 43 CB Brandon Cisse, South Carolina
No. 44 CB Keionte Scott, Miami
No. 45 EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
No. 46 EDGE Malachi Lawrence. UCF
No. 47 OL Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
No. 48 WR Antonio Williams, Clemson
No. 49 EDGE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
No. 50 WR Germie Bernard, Alabama
Detroit signed defensive backs Christian Izien and Roger McCreary in free agency, two veterans with extensive nickel experience and versatility to their games. Izien has played 907 snaps in the slot, 378 at free safety and 249 at box safety in three NFL seasons.
McCreary has 1,780 slot reps of experience in four NFL seasons with 390 reps at box safety and 949 playing outside cornerback. Detroit also re-signed versatile veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox who can play several different roles.
What the Lions ultimately feature most on defense will depend on what roster additions are made later this month in the NFL Draft, along with any additional free-agent signings, and how those pieces start to come together when the team hits the field for offseason workouts.
"It's still the same install but we just, now we got the pieces to put where we want whether that's a nickel, it's an end, it's a big end, it's a linebacker," Campbell said. "So we're kind of flexible here."
