Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard alludes to multiple breakout candidates — including a former first-round pick
Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard is already hinting at multiple breakout candidates in Detroit—including a former first-round pick—and the early offseason buzz suggests a defense-wide competition is just getting started.
There is no doubt that the Detroit Lions came into this offseason with a plan on defense. That plan was to get as much competition on the roster as they possibly could and see who rises to the top of it.
Lions defensive coordinator Kelvinn Sheppard went on Fox 2’s Sports Office show with Dan Miller and Jennifer Hammond on Wednesday, and talked a lot about that. In the midst of that conversation, three names really popped out for potential breakout seasons. Let’s talk about it.
Edge Payton Turner
Turner was the 28th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, but he has not had the career of a player who was a first-round pick. The Lions will be the third team he’s played for since being drafted.
This is truly a kicking-the-tires thing for Detroit, but Sheppard says he believes this is the year “the light comes on” for Turner. There have been some flashes from Turner during his career that show why he was a first-round pick, but he’s struggled to stay on the field.
If he can stay healthy, there’s room for him to have a bit of a resurgence in Detroit, where the Lions have been able to turn around some careers for edge rushers like Al-Quadin Muhammad, John Cominsky, and Charles Harris. Don’t expect Pro Bowl numbers, but the potential of really solid rotational depth on pass-rushing downs is there for sure.
DT Tyleik Williams
Sheppard said going back and looking at the self-scout for the Lions in 2025 really showed him something on Williams.
“He’s done a tremendous job getting himself in shape, but I don’t want to get lost in the shuffle like last year was a wash,” Sheppard said. “He did some very good things, especially when we went back and attacked the self scout. It was actually better than we thought it was during the season. So we’re very excited for the year one and year two leap.”
Williams Drew a lot of comparisons to his interior running mate, Alim McNeill’s early career, and frankly, it’s like watching the same player. Williams can play multiple spots on the line just like McNeill, and he has the pass-rush ability beyond just being a run stuffer like McNeill. We could see some push from the middle this year in Detroit.
CB Roger McCreary
This is the second time McCreary has come up this week. The hype is really happening for him. I know it’s just a “pajama party” right now, but Sheppard said McCreary has come in and already popped for him.
McCreary started at slot corner for the Titans when he was there, and the Rams were hoping he’d do the same for them before an injury cost him pretty much his entire time in Los Angeles after the trade at the trade deadline last year. Now it would seem he’s ready to take that starting role in Detroit, and if he’s able to show what he did in Tennessee, the Lions could be in for a big year at cornerback, provided everyone stays on the field.
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