Blocking scheme expansion
Jonah Jackson (3rd) and Logan Sternberg (4th)
When Quinn was hired in 2016, then-coach Jim Caldwell’s offensive scheme ran mostly bland zone concepts (thanks, Ron Prince) and looked for offensive linemen who were highly athletic. That draft, Taylor Decker, Graham Glasgow, Joe Dahl set the bar for QIB, targeting 10-yard-split, vertical jump, broad jump, and short shuttle as athletic markers.
No offensive linemen were drafted in 2017, but 2018 saw Quinn draft Frank Ragnow (who passed all benchmarks fully) and Tyrell Crosby, who passed the jumps and shuttle, but his 10 y/s was significantly lower. That same season, now-coach Matt Patricia brought in Jeff Davidson to coach the offensive line and he took a more balanced approach, adding in power and gap concepts.
The only offensive lineman added in 2019 was undrafted free agent Beau Benzschawel, which athletically was unusual, as he missed every mark, save the short shuttle. While the Lions tried to maintain balanced run schemes last year, when the Lions tried to establish the run, they still defaulted to inside zone concepts.
Entering the 2020 season, several changes appear to be afoot. Davidson has stepped away from the NFL and his protegé Hank Fraley was promoted to take over as offensive line coach. Glasgow left in free agency and he was replaced by two rookie offensive lineman in Jonah Jackson and Logan Stenberg. Athletically, they are vastly different from Glasgow — matching up closer to Benschawel — and it could once again be pointing towards a possible shift in scheme.
To get a better idea of what the Lions saw in Jackson and Stenberg, let’s look at a modified Venn diagram of their skills set:
| Jonah Jackson | Jackson and Stenberg | Logan Stenberg |
| Right guard/center | Left guard | Left guard only |
| Intelligent | ||
| Great pass pro sets | Plus run blocker | |
| Great balance/Plays under control | ||
| Technician | Aggressive | Blue Collar |
| First to engage punch/locks on DT | ||
| Lacks power | Doesn’t get overpowered | Loads of power |
| Can pull to next level | Neither are graceful movers | Struggles in space |
| Able to handle switches | ||
| Outside Zone | Power/Inside Zone/Gap concepts |
The shift from Caldwell to Patricia in 2018 not only saw a shift in blocking concepts but apparently the types of offensive linemen targeted as well. Gone are the athletes who win with finesse, and coming in are aggressive balanced blockers who can operate in multiple schemes.
Like with the switchover from Prince to Davidson, there are expected to be new strategies that come with Fraley. And based on the types of offensive linemen — and running backs — added this offseason, the Lions run game appears to be in line for a scheme expansion.