The job Glenn did to maintain a pretty consistent level of play on defense this past year despite all the injuries on that side of the ball was pretty remarkable. When Sheppard hits the ground running in this new role come April, he’ll have plenty of pieces to work with.
His linebacker room will be strong with Anzalone, Campbell and Rodriguez all under contract. We’ll see what the Lions opt to do with Barnes set to become a free agent.
Detroit’s starting four upfront should be disruptive and versatile with Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, DJ Reader and Za’Darius Smith all under contract, plus a few key reserves coming back too.
Kerby Joseph, Brian Branch, Amik Robertson, Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. are all back in the secondary and that’s an area Detroit’s expected to continue to develop and add to this offseason by either re-signing Carlton Davis III, adding another veteran in free agency or continuing to add young talent to the mix via the draft.
Sheppard will have the pieces to implement his style of play and vision for this defense in 2025.
Sheppard once considered cutting his dreadlocks, believing the look might hinder his ability to get a job coaching in the NFL. Campbell encouraged Sheppard to keep his hairstyle, saying it was part of the young coach’s identity. Sheppard never forgot that conversation with Campbell and it’s allowed him to be his authentic self throughout his coaching career.
“I went through it and he’s like, ‘Thinking about cutting your what? What? Are you crazy? First of all, I love your hair,'” Sheppard said back in 2022. “He’s like, ‘But seriously, Shep, if I’m hiring you, if anybody’s hiring you, they’re hiring you because of you. You got those jobs because of who you are, not because of somebody you’re trying to become.’ And that resonated with me.”
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