The Detroit Lions built their defense around one word: physicality. If you watched them last season, you saw it firsthand — their corners were in receivers’ faces all game long. So it’s no surprise that two former Lions cracked the top 10 of Pro Football Focus’ list of the most physical coverage defenders in the league.
Leading the entire NFL? None other than Kindle Vildor, who made contact with receivers on over 50% of his coverage snaps. That’s a wild number. Vildor was more of a depth guy for the Lions — he only started two games but played in all 17. He mostly came in during dime packages or when injuries hit late in the year. Now, he’s headed to Tampa Bay on a one-year deal.
But here’s the thing: while Vildor was aggressive, it didn’t always work out in his favor. PFF’s breakdown shows he drew four penalties on 100 contact snaps and gave up six first downs. His overall coverage grade? A rough 29.1. So yeah — physical, but sometimes too much.
Also on the list: Carlton Davis, who ranked sixth with contact on 42.3% of snaps. Davis only spent one season in Detroit before cashing in with a three-year deal in New England worth up to $60 million. But he left a mark — he doubled his physical-snap total from his last two years with the Bucs and gave up just a 40.6% completion rate. He also hasn’t allowed more than one touchdown in three seasons when making contact with receivers.
Bottom line: the Lions have been rolling out physical corners who don’t back down from contact. It’s part of the identity this defense has built — tough, gritty, in-your-face football. Even though Vildor and Davis have moved on, their playing style perfectly reflects the tone Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn want from this unit.
