Trevor Nowaske’s Week 3 jump may have changed the Lions’ linebacker picture in a real way.
Detroit has been searching for answers on defense all season, and that search spilled past the secondary in the Week 3 matchup with the New York Jets. Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes remain the clear anchors at linebacker, handling the bulk of the snaps every week. But behind them, the Lions are clearly willing to keep mixing and matching.
That shuffle cost Devin White his spot against the Jets. After a rough first half in the Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills, White was benched for the second half and then sat out entirely as a healthy scratch in Week 3. In his place, rookie Jimmy Rolder made his debut and logged 15 special teams snaps, while Amen Ogbongbemiga was elevated from the practice squad and played 17 special teams snaps.
The biggest beneficiary was Nowaske. He went from 13 defensive snaps through the first two games to 33 against the Jets, and he made the most of the opportunity. Nowaske finished with six total tackles, and Pro Football Focus credited him with four stops.
Asked on 97.1 The Ticket whether that linebacker setup could stick, Dan Campbell didn’t shut the door on it.
"I think that could trend that way. I mean, look, D-White is still here, and there’s things that Devin does that not everybody can do, and we know that. But right now, if you’re just looking at the totality of defense plus special teams, the six (linebackers) we brought to the game are the ones that we can use the most right now."
That’s the blunt reality for White. He has played only 35 special teams snaps since the start of the 2022 season, so if he’s not holding a meaningful defensive role, his value to the roster drops fast.
His name still carries weight because of what he did early in his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that version of White has not shown up in a while. Even his 174 tackles with the Las Vegas Raiders last season can be misleading when it comes to actual impact.
Nothing is set in stone with Detroit’s linebacker rotation beyond Campbell and Barnes. The weekly mix can change, and so can the odd man out on game day. But after Week 3, and after Dan Campbell’s comments, White looks like he may stay on the outside looking in.
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