The defensive line depth in Detroit went from being a weakness to an abundance of talent in the offseason. In fact, the Lions have so many capable defensive linemen now that the best returning player, Trey Flowers, is switching to linebacker.
That’s according to new Lions DL coach Todd Wash, who met with the media on Thursday and provided a deeper glimpse at how Flowers will be used.
Wash acknowledged what head coach Dan Campbell said a couple of weeks ago, that the Lions “will be a 3-4 (front) out of base (scheme).”
He envisions Flowers as “playing the outside linebacker spot”. Wash then noted that when the team flips into sub-packages that the dynamic changes.
“In our sub and dime package, then (Flowers) is going to be playing the defensive end spot.”
Flowers has primarily played as an end in his NFL career, moving between a 5-tech and a 7-tech in the various “multiple” fronts deployed by ex-coach Matt Patricia in both New England and Detroit. In 2020, Flowers played all but 21 of his 307 snaps on defense on the line.
He does have some considerable, and successful, experience playing in a stand-up OLB role. In the “LEO” role in a 3-4 base defense, the position is responsible almost exclusively at attacking the quarterback from a stand-up role outside the defensive end. Flowers played that role in over 50 percent of his snaps in his final two seasons (2017-2018) in New England and scored the highest Pro Football Focus pass rush grades of his career in that role.
The team added veteran Michael Brockers, a more natural 5-technique end who also outweighs Flowers by some 35 pounds, going off their listed weights in 2020. Second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike is also heavier and capably suited to play the DE role in a 3-man front. Onwuzurike can kick inside to rush tackle when Flowers plays DE in the 4-man front and sub packages.