Lions LB Devon Kennard: Defense starting season with a clean slate

The fifth-round pick offers advice to success

ALLEN PARK — Devon Kennard remembers his draft day in 2014 as the most stressful and the best day all rolled into one.

The Lions linebacker, who was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Giants, has found success despite his late-round status.

It wasn’t an accident, he worked hard as a rookie and still does.

With the NFL draft starting on April 25 he has advice for late-round picks.

“I would definitely say like learn the playbook early on, that helped me my first year. I feel like I’m an intelligent player, if you don’t know what you’re doing like the game is going to be moving too fast as a rookie and a late-round guy,’’ Kennard said at a Tuesday press conference.

Many of the Lions players reported to voluntary workouts starting on Monday.

“I think I earned my teammates and coaches respect, I came in as a rookie I dove into the playbook right away and I was out there I didn’t do everything perfect. I knew where to line up and play certain things and was doing things the right way,’’ Kennard said. “That gave me a huge headway to end up starting as a rookie even though I was a late-round draft pick.’’

He started six games as a rookie for the Giants and played three more seasons there before he joined the Lions for the 2018 season when he started in 15 games.

The Lions’ defense was a work in progress in 2018, the first under first-year coach Matt Patricia, although improvement was obvious by the end of the season.

Kennard said that doesn’t matter.

“I’m kind of a firm believer in last year is last year. If you try to hang your hat on something like that you know teams are watching film and studying too,’’ Kennard said. “So if you think we finished the year strong so we’re going to be good and we’re going to be strong because that’s how we finished that’s the recipe for disaster.

“I kind of look at it as complete clean slate. The best advantage we have is just our understanding of our defense and our ownership of the defense. It’s what we do with it now moving forward,’’ Kennard added.

The NFL will announce the 2019 schedule at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

 

Lions to open preseason at home against Super Bowl champion Patriots

2019 preseason opponents announced

The Lions have announced their 2019 preseason opponents starting with the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots at Ford Field, Aug. 8-12. Exact dates and times will be announced at later date.

It will mark the third time in seven years the Lions and Patriots have met in the preseason. Detroit leads the preseason series 6-3.

In Week 2 (Aug. 15-19), the Lions will play at the Houston Texans. Detroit’s last preseason game in Houston was against the Oilers in 1996.

In Week 3, the Lions will welcome the Buffalo Bills at 8 p.m. on Aug. 23 in a game to be broadcast nationally on CBS. It will be the 38th time they have met in the preseason.

The Lions wrap up their preseason at the Cleveland Browns on Aug. 29 or 30. The Lions and Browns have met in the preseason 47 times, more than any other Lions opponent. Detroit leads the Preseason series with a record of 25-21-1.

TE T.J. Hockenson makes sense for Detroit Lions in first round, per Todd McShay

First-round TEs haven’t always worked out so well

Drafting tight ends in the first round is not exactly on the Lions’ list of top achievements in recent years.

Brandon Pettigrew, first-round pick in 2009 (20th overall), and Eric Ebron, the 10th overall pick in 2014, immediately come to mind.

Still there’s a chance the Lions could turn to a tight end with the eighth overall pick three weeks from now.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay has the Lions drafting Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson in the first round in his 4.0 mock draft.

He is well aware of need at defensive end, but he can’t overlook the Hockenson’s talent.

“I considered it. I gave Jaylon Ferguson (Louisiana Tech) to Detroit at 43, I recognize the need,’’ McShay said in a Tuesday conference call. “I just think T.J. is one of the 10 best players in the draft. I know they haven’t had the greatest success drafting tight ends early with Pettigrew and Ebron.’’

Hockenson, who is 6-5 and 251 pounds, is widely considered the best overall tight end and one of the best overall players in the draft.

“You don’t often find guys coming out of college who can block inline and you can flex them out and they can be as successful blocking as they are running routes and creating after the catch. I think he is one of the more complete football players in this draft and I don’t think you can go wrong with Hockenson,’’ McShay said.  

Last season in 13 games, Hockenson had 24 catches for 320 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think if developed properly Ferguson has a chance to be a really good player,”” McShay said.

He looked at the combination of picks in making the decision to go with Hockenson. He said there’s quite a drop-off in tight end talent between first and second rounds and less of a drop-off at defensive end.

The NFL draft starts on Thursday, April 25. The Lions have nine picks — one in each of the first five rounds with two in the sixth and seventh rounds.