Marcus Davenport is listed as the Lions 2024 Bounce-Back Player.
The team is happy to have him back and playing defensive line.
When Marcus Davenport returns to full health, the Detroit Lions will have another defensive lineman.
The team wants to continue being successful against the run and find reliable pass-rushers.
It is anticipated that the experienced defensive tackle from the Vikings and Saints will be able to have an early impact on Detroit’s defense if he can maintain his health.
According to a recent PFF list of each NFL team’s bounce-back players, Davenport was the Lions’ best chance for a prosperous 2024 campaign in Motown.
Davenport’s stay in Minnesota during the previous year seems to have been a fever dream.
Due to a high ankle injury, the former Saints pass-rusher only played 114 snaps, and even in his limited time, he was unsatisfactory, according to Bradley Locker.
“Davenport collected only seven pressures on 77 pass-rushing snaps, and he missed 40% of his tackles.”
The former first-round pick had a prosperous tenure with the Saints before his 2023 campaign with the Vikings was cut short due to an ankle ailment.
In Week 6, Davenport was placed on injured reserve. However, Davenport showed himself to be a consistently disruptive defensive lineman in New Orleans.
In each of his first five seasons, he produced 30 or more pressures, and toward the end of his first contract, he particularly reached his pinnacle, finishing with an overall grade of 88.8 in 2021, according to Locker.
“The Lions’ defensive line should be formidable this year with Aidan Hutchinson, D.J. Reader, and Davenport, but don’t discount Davenport looking more like himself and also wreaking havoc.”
Despite being 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn stated during OTA practice that Davenport is a capable pass-rusher.
I am very sure about that player. I am aware of his contributions. He’s a large man,” Glenn remarked.
“He’s a big man who can rush and is very violent in the way we want to play, and I can’t wait to watch that player really on the field.
