Many Detroit Lions fans are eager to see what Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has up his sleeve in his second year as the team\u2019s defensive coordinator. After a frustrating season that started out so promisingly, the Lions defense needs to take a big jump in 2026. Some have suggested Detroit is in need of a schematic overhaul, while others believe a tweak to the existing system would be sufficient.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a part of my self scout, when I\u2019m looking at myself and then just in general,\u201d Sheppard said. \u201cYou always want to know. Say what you want\u2014you don\u2019t want to know about other people. B.S! You want to know what people at the highest level within your career is doing. So I stepped back and I pulled the (tape of the) top five defenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sheppard pointed specifically to three different defenses he studied: the Seahawks, the Texans and the Jaguars\u2014teams that ranked third, second, and sixth respectively in points allowed last year. But it\u2019s not as simple as just recreating those team\u2019s defenses, he has to find aspects of their games that fit the Detroit Lions.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnderstand who you are and who they are,\u201d Sheppard said. \u201cWe can\u2019t go play a certain style that some of these teams play, whether that be personnel, complementary football and what we\u2019re trying to do here knowing the offense that we have, so on and so forth. [\u2026] If it\u2019s something that\u2019s applicable to us is there, we apply it. And I\u2019d be lying to you if I said I didn\u2019t kinda pick and prod. And some things that felt right within what we do as our core principles, we applied it, and I think it\u2019s going to make us better.\u201c<\/p>\n
As to what some of those changes are, Sheppard didn\u2019t provide much detail. However, he may have let one thing slip, as he talked about some of the new faces on the Lions defense.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe nickel position, a critical position within the defense, wanting to expand upon how much volume we use the nickel,\u201d Sheppard said. \u201cWho is that going to be? It was Amik Robertson the last two years. So who is that going to be? It\u2019s a lot of guys that are in flux, but a guy that\u2019s kinda popped to me early Roger McCreary has come in and done a great job.\u201d<\/p>\n