The Lions Have 2 Young Players Who NEED To Play More...

Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com The Detroit Lions may have found two young defensive players who are going to play a much bigger role than expected in 2026. Mike Payton breaks down two of the biggest under-the-radar takeaways from Detroit's Week 1 win over the New Orleans Saints: Skyler Gill-Howard and Thomas Harper. Gill-Howard was one of the players Mike expected to become a bigger part of the Lions' defense as the season went along, but his Week 1 usage was surprising. The young defensive lineman played 47 snaps, including 31 pass-rush snaps, and showed that Detroit may already trust him in important situations. Mike also breaks down how the Lions used Gill-Howard differently from Tyleik Williams. Williams was more effective against the run, while Gill-Howard's pass-rushing ability made him a better fit as the game shifted toward stopping the Saints' passing attack. Then there's Thomas Harper. Harper played 54 snaps in Week 1, more than starting safety Chuck Clark, despite not entering the season as one of Detroit's starting safeties. Harper also made a big pass breakup and continued to show why the Lions valued him after his strong 2025 season. That creates a fascinating question for Detroit when Brian Branch and Kirby Joseph return. How do the Lions keep Harper and Chuck Clark involved when two of their best safeties come back? Mike explains why he believes Harper may have earned a much larger role than simply being a backup. Are Skyler Gill-Howard and Thomas Harper about to become major pieces of the Lions defense? Let us know what you think in the comments. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Detroit for Detroit Lions news, analysis, film breakdowns, roster updates and daily coverage throughout the 2026 season. Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more LIONS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionsFans4Life Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportslions/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/AtoZSportsNFL TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsdetroitlions 0:00 2 Young Lions Players Who Need More Snaps 0:47 Skyler Gill-Howard 1:27 Why Gill-Howard Played So Much 2:21 Gill-Howard's Pass Rush Role 3:40 Gill-Howard Could Be A Major Part Of This Defense 5:40 Thomas Harper 6:34 Harper's Huge Week 1 7:07 What Happens When Branch & Joseph Return? 8:16 The Lions Have A Safety Problem 9:09 Who Gets The Snaps? #detroitlions #lionsnation #lionsfootball #detroitlionsnews