All articles tagged with #nickel defense
At Bears training camp Day 1, Luther Burden III quickly became a popular target as the team evaluates nickel-back roles and kicks off the season with a crisp, 90-minute practice at Halas Hall.
Detroit Lions enter 2026 training camp with eight linebackers as they pivot to more nickel subpackages, reducing base three-LB usage. With the loss of Alex Anzalone and other veterans, they re-signed Malcolm Rodriguez and Trevor Nowaske, added Damone Clark and Joe Bachie, drafted Jimmy Rolder and UDFA Erick Hunter, and will rely on Campbell at MIKE and Barnes at SAM while Rodriguez competes for LB3. Rolder offers developmental upside and could push into LB3 later, but early snaps may be limited; the group will decide whether to keep five or six linebackers, with special-teams value helping determine the final roster.
The Detroit Lions selected Arizona State cornerback Keith Abney II in the fifth round (No. 157) to bolster the secondary, with a focus on nickel depth. Abney brings solid tackling and coverage, giving Detroit a potential starter at nickel or valuable depth behind McCreary and Rakestraw Jr., while also offering versatility to play outside. His size and history of penalties are factors the team will weigh as he transitions to the NFL.
Seattle’s unit has become a numbers-driven force by using a nickel-heavy base with two-deep safeties, generating pressure without blitzing and excelling in EPA and DVOA on both run and pass. A deep defensive-line rotation (Williams, Murphy II, Reed, Nwosu, Hall, Mafe) paired with versatile backs like Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori smothers the run (3.7 yards per carry allowed) and locks down pass concepts, fueling the Seahawks’ Super Bowl LX bid.