Training camp has kicked off, and now we eagerly await our 2009 Lions taking the field, I will chronicle my expected impact of all the additions to the 2009 Lions in a three part series. This is an in depth look at every player (that is expected to make the team) and the coaching staff along with my thoughts on what role they will play and their impact on the team this season. This is the final addition looking at the additions on defense, and I’ll start in the trenches.

Defensive Tackle Grady Jackson: When the Lions signed Grady this spring, I thought we were getting an over-the-hill type of stopgap we got in the Millen Era (I should actually start referring to it as the Millen Error.) Remember the Todd Lyght’s, Eric Davis’ and Brock Marion’s? Then I did a little research and found that his performance hasn’t dropped off as I expected. Last season with the Falcons, he had 28 total tackles and 2 sacks; in his best season with Green Bay, he had 54 total tackles and 1 sack. The biggest difference was he played one fewer game and took part in significantly fewer snaps. Jackson isn’t an every down player anymore, but he is an impact player when he’s in the game. He stuffs the run with the best of them and can be a disruptive force if he stays fresh.

Impact: B (if healthy) C (if his knee keeps acting up) Jackson hasn’t taken the field in any of the offseason activities and hasn’t suited up in training camp yet. He is rehabbing a knee injury that could be a chronic injury he will have to deal with all year. If his knee never gets close to 100% his impact will be greatly reduced. He derives most of his power from his legs, and if he is hampered, he’ll just become a really big guy that is tough to move instead of a disruptive player.

Defensive Tackle Sammie Hill: When I was doing my draft preparations, I kept coming back to Hill as an intriguing prospect. He is massive, but very athletic and came from a small school where he didn’t receive the caliber coaching he’d get at a bigger school. These players tend to be high-risk high-reward types of players, but he was worth the roll of the dice in the 4^th round. The trap these types of players fall into is they get by on talent for 3-4 years and then they get to the pros and try to do the same.

Impact: C+ I have really high expectations for Hill because not too long ago the Lions new defensive line coach, Bob Karmelowicz, coached a player that got by on talent and turned him into a Pro Bowler. Mario Williams was extremely talented, but his technique was not anywhere near NFL level. It took a season for “Coach Karm” to coach him up, but defensive ends tend to take longer to develop. If Hill has the work ethic and attitude to respond to the coaching, he could end up being a very good player.

Defensive Tackle Orien Harris: Harris was acquired in a trade with the Rams a few weeks ago for Ronald Curry. On the surface the trade looks like the Lions and Rams traded training camp fodder, however when taking a closer look, the Lions may have gotten a good deal. Harris has good size and athleticism, but hasn’t really been able to stick with a team, but there are some interesting circumstances for that. The Steelers drafted him and they tried to convert him to a defensive end in the 3-4 defense. He didn’t make big enough strides to make the active roster, so they signed him to the practice squad. Later that season the Browns signed him off the Steelers practice squad and added him to their active roster. The Browns cut him the following season because he wasn’t really making the conversion to defensive end smoothly. The Bills signed him to their practice squad as a developmental player. The Saints signed him off of the Bills squad and placed him on their active roster. He played well for the Saints in the preseason, but couldn’t make the active roster due to first rounder Sedrick Ellis and third rounder DeMario Pressley. The Saints waived him so they could put him on their practice squad, but the Bengals claimed him. He played 14 games for the Bengals in 2008. He was traded to the Rams because the Bengals desperately needed a backup running back. After a couple months, the Rams traded him to Detroit because of a dire need for receivers.

Impact: C+ Harris has potential but he hasn’t been in one place long enough to learn to harness it. If Harris can harness his potential, the Lions may have made chicken salad out of chicken s…feathers. By trading Gerald Alexander (who was going to be cut) to the Jaguars for Dennis Northcutt, the Lions were able to send Ronald Curry to the receiver starved Rams for a solid young defensive tackle.

Linebacker Larry Foote: The Lions got a steal when Larry Foote was granted his release from the Steelers. Foote made no bones about the fact he wanted to play for the Lions, and the Lions got the starting middle linebacker they were looking for. Foote is a fantastic run stuffer, great leader and surprisingly effective blitzer on occasion. He has experience on a winning roster and can help bring that attitude and work ethic to a young linebacking corps.

Impact: B+ Foote will most likely be a two-down linebacker, but he is a sound tackler, reads and diagnoses plays very well and can take on and shed blockers very well due to his experience in the 3-4. That experience is an added bonus as I expect the Lions will play some 3-4 this season.

Linebacker Julian Peterson: Peterson gives the Lions something they haven’t had since the days of Pat Swilling, a playmaking outside linebacker. Peterson is strong against the run, solid in coverage, a very good blitzer and most importantly has a knack for forcing turnovers. Peterson may not be as explosive as he was a few years ago, but he still gives the Lions a playmaking presence that they have sorely lacked.

Impact: A- I expect one of the biggest impacts from Peterson because of his versatility and the flexibility he gives the Lions defense in the pass rush. Peterson can line up at defensive end and rush the QB, he can rush from the linebacker position, and he can line up at defensive end and drop into coverage on the zone blitz.

Linebacker DeAndre Levy: I have seen almost every game of his collegiate career and one thing is for certain, he knows how to hit. His transition to middle linebacker should be easier than people assume due to the way the Badgers lined up their 4-3. The Badgers had/have smaller, faster linebackers, so they lined them up inside of the defensive ends to keep blockers off them and allow them to run to the ball. Levy lined up in between the defensive end and the defensive tackle as an outside linebacker, so he has a lot of experience playing the responsibilities of maintaining those gaps. His play in the preseason could go a long way towards determining how much 3-4 the Lions play. If he plays well, the Lions will find a way to get him on the field.

Impact: C Levy will play special teams and back up the middle and perhaps the strong side linebacker spots, so best case scenario Lions fans only see him on special teams this season. He will get to learn from a couple of seasoned veterans, and if he is forced into playing he will have two vets on either side of him to help him get acclimated.

Linebacker Cody Spencer: Spencer has some familiarity with the new coaching staff and has been a solid special teamer for several seasons. He has never started a game in his five-year career and has played very few defensive snaps. If he makes the team, his contributions will most likely be on special teams.

Impact: D Spencer has to hold off Zack Follett and Curtis Gatewood to make the team. He should be a solid special teamer if he does.

Linebacker Curtis Gatewood: Gatewood is in a similar situation as Spencer, except with less experience. He has played in six games, only on special teams and he’ll have to show that he is able to contribute on defense as well as special teams.

Impact: D- I think Gatewood is a long shot to make the team, but included him on here just in case…

Linebacker Zack Follett: Follett was a decorated and record setting linebacker that played all three linebacker positions at Cal. He tied the Pac-10 record for fumbles forced and recorded 23.5 sacks. He has the proper mentality for a special teamer and his versatility gives him an edge.

Impact: C- Follett will be a player to watch in the preseason. He’s one of those players that looks too small and too slow until he gets on the field. Then he looks like the Tasmanian Devil. Follett is the type of player you want to see succeed, and hopefully he can in Detroit.

Cornerback Phillip Buchanon: There are three moves the Lions made that I really disliked this offseason. The first was letting Dan Orlovsky go, the second was retaining Daunte Culpepper and the third was replacing Leigh Bodden with Buchanon. Leigh Bodden is one of the best man-to-man cover corners in the league. He had a down season because he had to play zone most of the time, but the Lions let him go to dump his salary and replaced him with the chronically underachieving Buchanon. Phillip Buchanon has all the talent in the world, but he ended up the low man on the totem pole in Oakland when Nnamdi Asomugha, Stanford Routt and Fabian Washington outplayed him. He was traded to Houston where he was abysmal, but bounced back the last two and a half years in Tampa Bay. Bodden was big and physical, while Buchanon is smaller and more athletic. Buchanon is a weapon with the ball in his hands and has experience returning kicks, but he isn’t known as a ball hawk.

Impact: C+ I think the Lions took a step back by signing Buchanon as a replacement for Bodden. Had they signed him to pair with Bodden, I would have been thrilled. I don’t think he has the type of ability to lock down a number one receiver consistently. He is 29 years old vs. Bodden’s 27, so the Lions swapped a younger more consistent player that could have been a long-term fixture for an older player that has battled inconsistency throughout his career. I hope I am wrong about him, because he is the best option the Lions have at cornerback right now.

Cornerback Anthony Henry: If the Lions would have gotten four jockstraps and a tin of eye black for Jon Kitna I would have been ecstatic, to get a player of Henry’s caliber was excellent. Henry isn’t a long-tern answer at corner, but he is big, physical and can move to safety if the Lions find a better option at cornerback. Henry has always been an overachiever that led the NFL with 10 interceptions as a rookie. He has experience blitzing off the corner and is a sound tackler, the biggest downside is he doesn’t have elite speed and without a strong pass rush that can be exploited.

Impact: B- Buchanon has more talent than Henry, but Henry’s physical style is better suited for the receivers he will face in the division. I hope that he gives them a solid year at cornerback, unlike last year’s veteran pickup Brian Kelly.

Cornerback Eric King: King is in a similar situation as Daniel Loper, he is a solid player that didn’t get a lot of playing time because there were some really good players ahead of him on the depth chart. Courtland Finnegan was a Pro Bowler last season and Nick Harper is a proven veteran that started at cornerback for the Colts when they won the Super Bowl in 2006. King doesn’t have great size or speed, but he has good quickness and technique. There is some concern about his durability since he finished the last two seasons on injured reserve.

Impact: C+ King could end up starting opposite Phillip Buchanon with a strong training camp and preseason, although he seems a better fit at nickel back where his lack of elite speed won’t be so easily exploited.

Safety Louis Delmas: There might be more pressure on Louis Delmas this season than Matthew Stafford. Coaches have been raving about him, writers have been raving about him and scouts were raving about him before he was even drafted. He has great speed, great coverage ability and he is a ferocious tackler. That last part scares me because he is not a large player and players are bigger and stronger in the NFL than the MAC. Bob Sanders is a fantastic playmaking safety that can’t stay on the field because of his physical style; I hope Delmas doesn’t suffer the same fate.

Impact: B+ The Lions haven’t had an impact player at safety since the days of Bennie Blades, “Big Play” Willie Clay and Mark Carrier. Coaches will tell you that if you have poor play from your safeties it shows up as long runs and passes surrendered. Although it’s a lot to ask of a rookie, the Lions need Delmas to solidify the secondary this season. I think he’s capable.

Safety Marquand Manuel: Manuel is an interesting player because he’s a journeyman that has a lot of starts under his belt. He’s the type of player that’s good enough to plug a hole in the roster for a year, but never distinguishes himself enough to be considered a long-term answer. This mostly arises from his poor ball skills. Manuel is a solid tackler, but he doesn’t break up many passes and intercepts far fewer. In 107 games, he has only two interceptions and 13 pass breakups.

Impact: C- Manuel is the type of player the Lions have come to rely on due to the poor drafting during the Millen Error. He’s a stopgap type of player that is signed as a free agent rather than having a young player to plug in. Personally, I think that Daniel Bullocks will win the starting position next to Delmas, which puts Manuel in a backup and special teams role, which is the only place I am comfortable with him in.