Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images What will Josh Paschal’s role be this year? Breaking down his preseason film to find out. Former second-round draft pick Josh Paschal starting and playing throughout the entirety of the Detroit Lions 24-23 win against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2 of the NFL preseason caught a lot of eyeballs and Twitter fingers. You could argue Paschal was the second most valuable player getting snaps against the Chiefs aside from starting nickelback Amik Robertson. Paschal was on the field for 28 of the Chiefs’ 59 offensive snaps to benefit his development. It should not sound alarms bells, despite playing in the fourth quarter. Paschal followed that up by playing 19 snaps against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 of the NFL preseason. We know now there was no reason for fear, as Paschal’s roster spot was always in the clear despite being the only member of the Lions’ likely top seven defensive line rotation of players to play in the preseason. Paschal’s professional development has dealt with numerous injury setbacks. A lingering core muscle injury from college zapped his rookie training camp and the first six games. A knee injury a month into his return knocked him out another two games (and his snap usage when he returned was drastically down). Finally, a knee injury in last year’s opener against the Chiefs landed him on injured reserve, causing him to miss five games, and throwing his second-year developmental curve off kilter. So given that Paschal has only played 22 career games (out of 34 possible) and that he is a versatile player, the snaps against the Chiefs and Steelers were beneficial for a still inexperienced rotational player. Paschal’s approach to defensive line play will always be built on the foundation of his play style being a cross between X-Men’s The Juggernaut and “Wreck it Ralph.” The reliable traits that Paschal has displayed thus far—particularly down the stretch last season while Alim McNeill was injured—is his ability to defend the run as a defensive end in base formations and his ability to bull rush and lead twists and stunts while kicked inside over the guard. This season, he has plenty of room to expand his game particularly as a pass rusher. It’s important to remain realistic that Paschal will never develop into a bendy and explosive edge rusher beating offensive tackles around the corner, like perhaps a James Houston. They are different players physically. The skillset expansion, under new defensive line coach Terrell Williams, likely includes ways to defeat blocks with improved and active, hand usage and in the same vein, deploying counter moves once his power moves (e.g. bull rush) have been stalled. Coming off the bench in Year 3, the key for Paschal will be efficient snaps (30 or less per game) and an efficient plan when attacking offensive linemen. Maximize the snaps on the field and don’t get stuck in the mud mid-play. In the selected 15 clips below, I’ll highlight what Josh Paschal did well and where he’s leaving room for improvement to paint an accurate picture of where Paschal is as a player. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/SptEhMFnnX — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 Textbook run defense as a defensive end by Paschal. He controls the right tackle by keeping a powerful base, gaining leverage by shooting his hands to the inside chest plate of the opponent and not losing ground along the line of scrimmage to be able to disengage and take down the running back while maintaining outside containment. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/bJewilBZKF — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 Paschal is a lunchpail player, but as he showed in Week 1 last year with the big fourth down stop against the Chiefs, he can make the occasional splashy play like this timely forced fumble. Unblocked, as the Chiefs are setting up a failed screen pass, Paschal doesn’t hesitate and he just attacks, while unleashing his 91st percentile 38-inch vertical jump explosiveness and pokes the ball out of the quarterback’s possession. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/K513MTL63k — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 The Lions can always rely on Paschal’s hustle and upper body strength (89th percentile 30 bench press reps of 225-pounds pre-draft). Here he fights through the left tackle and chip-help via the running back to chase after Mahomes on the rollout. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/JC4OCMfiPV — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 Similar to the previous play, Paschal utilizes his motor and forceful nature to bull rush his way into shrinking the pocket for Patrick Mahomes and forcing him into a small window to step into the throw and primarily use his upper body on the incompletion. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/VHAYqnCV39 — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 The highlight for the Chiefs, and a majority of the NFL, for the second week of the preseason was this Mahomes behind the back pass. There wasn’t much else you could ask Paschal to do on this play as he slams Travis Kelce into some lockers like he owes him lunch money and gains ground on Mahomes. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/tWbxsMCEhF — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 Lined up against the left guard to start the play, Paschal comes tight off the backside of the crashing defensive end on an end/tackle twist to force the left guard to grab and hold him from a clean path to the quarterback. It’s promising to see Paschal capitalizing as the looper on this defensive line twist, as he is often utilized as the lead crasher to eat up blockers and free up other players. Ten noteworthy Josh Paschal snaps vs Chiefs : pic.twitter.com/4IhFFrchU1 — Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 23, 2024 Paschal works to the outside shoulder of the left guard on this play, which is an encouraging development. It

Junfu Han-USA TODAY Sports Our Detroit Lions season preview continues. Predicting the team’s defensive MVP for 2024. Our 2024 Detroit Lions preview series continues now with the defense. This year, the Lions made some monster changes on that side of the ball in the hopes of improving a unit that ranked 23rd in points allowed last year. Whether it be free agent additions like DJ Reader, drafted talent like Terrion Arnold, or players they traded for like Carlton Davis, there are players that will certainly offer some reasons for optimism in 2024. But who will be the Lions’ defensive MVP this year? Here are our selections. Previously: Offensive MVP prediction 2024 Detroit Lions Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Knapp: Aidan Hutchinson With an improvement to the secondary and the defensive line, Hutchinson will benefit the most from it. With the coverage being able to do their job for longer, it will give Hutchinson more time to get to the quarterback. What also helps is the addition of DJ Reader to help the interior defensive line become an even bigger threat, which should have Hutchinson see fewer double teams. John Whiticar: Aidan Hutchinson While I think the overhaul in the secondary will be a boon for the front seven, Hutchinson should still be the unquestioned defensive MVP on this team. His pressure total (101) outweighed his sack total (11) by a fair bit, but he was also the only edge playing worthwhile football last year—Alim McNeill was second on the team with total pressures. With a better secondary behind him and added linemen like DJ Reader and Marcus Davenport, Hutchinson is being set up for an excellent year. Jeremy Reisman: Aidan Hutchinson I love that there are actual options this year like Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Jack Campbell, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch, but Hutchinson will again take the honors. He quietly had a dominant training camp, and with a better cast of players around him, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him turn what was the most pressures in the league last year into a 15+ sack season. Ryan Mathews: Brian Branch Brian Branch is going to solidify himself as the most valuable player in this Lions defense for a variety of reasons, but let’s start with his positional versatility. Branch is a player who came into Detroit a year ago and was so ready to contribute at a high level, the Lions made him the team’s starting nickel cornerback and changed course with their plans for veteran C.J. Gardner-Johnson. In Year 2, he’s moving to safety, but not out of necessity–it’s to ensure he’s on the field as much as possible after having a dynamite rookie campaign manning the slot (first among rookie CBs in run-defense stop rate [7.8%] and 11th in passer rating against). Morgan Cannon: Aidan Hutchinson This was a really tough call, but because of the position he plays and the impact he can have on the game, I am going with third-year edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The former University of Michigan star was wildly productive in 2023 with a supporting cast that didn’t always do him a ton of favors. Now with a deeper and more talented interior defensive line group, Hutchinson should see more one-on-ones this year which will hopefully lead to more sacks. If Hutchinson can elevate his game to the level of the elite tier of rushers in the NFL, it will go a long way towards this defense making some pretty giant strides in 2024. Meko Scott: Brian Branch I have to admit that this one is some wishful thinking on my part. I know that Aidan Hutchinson is the Lions best player and I fully expect him to continue to climb the ranks of the NFL’s best pass rushers, but I really think we could see something special from Brian Branch this season. The move to safety will give Branch more opportunities to do something he did quite often in his rookie season, and that is make plays and generate turnovers. He played at a level last year that I believe was worthy of All-Pro honors at the nickel position in Aaron Glenn’s defense, and I think he picks up where he left off and takes things to another level by becoming one of the best young safeties in the NFL. Erik Schlitt: Aidan Hutchinson The Lions invested heavily in the secondary and added more depth to the linebacker core, but the addition of DJ Reader should open the door for Aidan Hutchinson to get more one-on-one opportunities, which will be a problem for Lions opponents. The Lions’ offseason moves have put talent across the defense, but Hutchinson remains the most impactful player and should take his game up another level. Hamza Baccouche: Alex Anzalone I want to say Aidan Hutchinson here, but I truly think it’s Alex Anzalone. He may not get there in the flashiest way, as we learned last year. Anzalone graded out as one of the league’s best coverage linebackers, and it was often through quarterbacks not being able to throw his way, rather than interceptions or pass breakups. The more I pay attention to it, the more I believe Anzalone is key to holding down the second level and softening the blow from the injuries and turnover that have plagued the Lions secondary in recent years. With a much younger secondary entering 2024, Anzalone will be a glue for this defense once again. Max Gerber: Aidan Hutchinson Detroit’s defensive MVP has to go to Aidan Hutchinson. While he might have hit a bit of a sophomore slump compared to his rookie season, he still was one of the league’s best edge defenders in 2023. I expect a double-digit sack season from Hutchinson this year. Alex Reno: Aidan Hutchinson Last year, Hutchinson didn’t have a ton of help along the defensive line, and he still put up ridiculous numbers despite teams using nearly all of their resources to try and stop him. Now, with

Eric Seals-USA TODAY Sports Dan Campbell had some positive injury updates for the media on Monday. Which Detroit Lion coming back from injury will have the biggest impact against the Rams? On Monday, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell spent some time with the media to provide some injury updates. The news was mostly good, with the focus of the conversation being on safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, who is a bit of an unknown heading into Week 1. Campbell’s comments indicated that the rest of the players dealing with minor ailments should be good to go against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night. That’s huge news, considering at one point during training camp the Lions seemed to be dealing with an injury or two a day. That means, barring any setbacks, we should expect to see guys like Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Terrion Arnold, Carlton Davis III, and Kevin Zeitler back in the starting lineup and ready to go. Today’s Question of the Day is… Which Lions player coming off of an injury will have the biggest impact in Week 1? My answer: Carlton Davis III. The Lions’ pass defense took a beating last year, and during their Wild Card matchup against the Rams, wide receiver Puka Nacua went nuclear catching nine passes on ten targets for 181 yards and a touchdown in a narrow loss. Cam Sutton was on the receiving end for the sole touchdown where he got absolutely torched on a subtle hesi-move. Looking to replace Sutton as CB1 for the Lions is Davis III, who I expect to receive a bulk of the looks across from Nacua, though they do like to move the Rams receiver around quite a bit. Davis, acquired from the Bucs in an offseason trade, is a shutdown corner that fits exactly what defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has been searching for, and this is his opportunity to prove he can shut down one of the top receivers in the NFL. Let’s hear from you. What player returning from injury will have the biggest impact against the Rams? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

This and more from Philadelphia’s defensive coordinator. The Eagles had another practice on Monday, with just a few days left before their season opener in Brazil, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke to reporters about how they prepare for Week 1, and gave insights into a bunch of individual players. He noted that he does still get nervous for games, but not always, and he’s excited to learn how good this team can be after playing in a regular season game. Fangio admitted that in the first game, they have to temper things backs a bit and make sure not to put too much on the players right out of the gate — something they took into account when creating the game plan. Here’s what else the DC had to say: On preparing for Week 1 Fangio said that the Packers are pretty much the same team they were last year, at the end of the season, and that’s unfortunate because they were playing good football into the playoffs. “The biggest problem with defending their offense is they run it just as good as they throw it. So, they have a really good mix on first and second down, running play action, and it makes it hard to defend — and then you through in, what you alluded to, a scrambling, mobile quarterback, it adds another dimension to it.” He noted that they have predominantly the same staff, same offense, same players with the addition of Josh Jacobs. “[Jacobs’] a hell of a back. Obviously I knew of him when he was with the Raiders. He’s a hard runner. He’s got good contact balance. He’s a good pass blocker when they need him to be. He can catch the ball. He’s really one of those all-around good backs in the league, but really excels with the ball in his hand.” The DC then acknowledged that it’s going to be tough for the LB group, explaining that the Packers have a really good play action game which primarily attacks the linebackers. They haven’t seen much of that type of play action in training camp, so it is a challenge. On individual players Quinyon Mitchell Fangio said that he can see rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell being on the field for every defensive play, and thinks he’s ready for that responsibility as early as Week 1. “He’s just played well. He’s done a good job picking up his responsibilities, done a good job playing, and he will be out there.” The DC explained that he knew pretty quickly that Mitchell would be able to handle whatever they would throw at him, especially once they had him play nickel early on and he did fine. “I do think for him personally, it would be good to lock in at one spot, because even though we’ve been very happy with his development and his learning abilities, he still is a rookie, and I do think if he can get comfortable at one spot, it would be to his benefit. But we may not be able to do that.” Cooper DeJean “I think he’s as prepared as he can be, but having said that, not where he needs to be.” Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis’ conditioning “We’ll see. They haven’t been pushed like they potentially can be pushed in this game as far as the amount of plays they may have to play. So that’s TBD.” Fangio later said that this game, and the next few, will serve as a better barometer as far as the workload Carter will be able to have this season. He noted that practice is practice, and he won’t have an answer to that until they get some game reps in. Bryce Huff “Hopefully he’ll continue to improve, and I think he will with reps. Now each and every week will present new challenges to him because you’re seeing different types of offenses every week. So different style of runs, different style of passes, when, on the rare occasions, he does have to drop [into coverage]. So, every week will be a new challenge for him.” Other notables As far as the position battles, like at linebacker, Fangio said that they will still be ongoing as the season continues, but he does hope that there is continuity at positions or at least normal play-time rotations. The DC noted that even though Avonte Maddox has spent more time at safety, he can and will still play nickel. Fangio told veteran Brandon Graham to be ready because he’ll likely get used more than last season, and also confirmed that the DE is not on a pitch count to start the season. He admitted that there’s never enough practice heading into a season, but they certainly had enough to be ready for Week 1. The DC said it would have been nice to have one or two more joint practices to see different things schematically and to continue to gel as a group with new players and coaches, but overall he thinks the offseason program went well.