6 Takeaways from Drew Petzing and Kelvin Sheppard at the NFL Combine: A Deep Dive into the Lions' Strategy
The Detroit Lions' coordinators, Drew Petzing and Kelvin Sheppard, recently met with local media at the 2026 NFL Combine. This was an opportunity for both to provide insights into their respective roles and strategies. Here are six key takeaways from their discussions, offering a comprehensive look at the team's approach and future plans.
Defensive Coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's Insights
A Different Approach to Self-Scouting: Sheppard introduces a unique self-scouting process, focusing on transparency and thorough analysis. Instead of a quick fix, the team aims to 'tear off all the band-aids' to identify areas for improvement. This method ensures a comprehensive understanding of both strengths and weaknesses.
Third-and-10 Defense Struggles: The Lions' defense faced significant challenges on third-and-10 or more, allowing conversions at a rate of 28.8%, the third-highest in the league. In contrast, they performed better on shorter third-down situations. Sheppard acknowledges the need for better situational awareness and play-calling, taking responsibility for not providing enough information to players.
Explosive Play Obsession: Sheppard highlights explosive plays as a critical area for improvement. The team recorded 105 explosive plays, with 82 passing and 23 running. They plan to closely monitor these plays throughout the offseason, recognizing that 30-40% of them were preventable.
Offensive Coordinator Drew Petzing's Perspective
Flexible Personnel Strategy: Petzing emphasizes a fluid approach to personnel, adapting to the team's roster and in-season needs. He avoids a rigid strategy, stating, 'We want our best 11 on the field, and that can change as the season progresses.'
Collaborative Player Acquisition: Petzing and General Manager Brad Holmes maintain a collaborative relationship, with Petzing offering opinions and Holmes ensuring the right talent and culture fit. Petzing's focus is on maximizing the potential of the players he has, rather than solely acquiring his preferred personnel.
Efficiency as a Moving Target: Petzing understands the importance of adaptability in efficiency. He acknowledges that different game plans may require varying levels of passing and running, emphasizing the need to stay dynamic and responsive to the opponent's strategy.
