Lions must address league-worst interior pass rush

By PFF.com
Posted Apr 19, 2017 5:14 am EDT

2016 stats you should know:

With a cumulative pass-rush productivity of 4.6 from the 3-tech spot, Detroit ranked dead last in the NFC getting pressure from inside.
Last year, Rookie A’Shawn Robinson led Detroit’s interior pass-rushers with a pass-rush grade of just 68.2, 91st best in the NFL.

Players in the draft who can help:

Malik McDowell’s PRP of 11.7 tied for third among interior defensive linemen in this draft. He earned 30 total pressures on just 196 pass-rush snaps in 2016 and could be an option for the Lions at 21st overall.
Also tied for third among interior defensive linemen with a PRP of 11.7, Caleb Brantley could be a good fit for the Lions on Day 2 of the draft.
On Day 3, the Lions could look at Tanzel Smart from Tulane. Smart earned a pass-rush grade of 87.4 in 2016, which ranked fourth in college football last year.