The Detroit Lions are looking to improve to 3-1 for the season with a win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. They will have an excellent opportunity to do so, as the Panthers are dealing with a long list of injuries that include both their starting cornerbacks and their best offensive lineman.
The Lions, on the other hand, have fewer injury concerns except for the players who are already on the injured reserve. But they still had two veterans sit out in Wednesday's practice. Ben Bartch missed it as he continues to deal with a foot injury. DJ Wonnum's absence came as a surprise, as he was listed with a back injury.
This opens up an opportunity for Ahmed Hassanein to finally get a chance. Wonnum's potential absence means that there will be plenty of snaps on the defensive line to go around. Hassanein could take advantage of this.
We will obviously find out more about Wonnum's ailment later in the week. We will have a better idea of his availability after Thursday's and Friday's practices, but if he is unable to go, Hassanein may be the next man up.
Ahmed Hassanein may be the next man up in DJ Wonnum's potential absence
In the first three weeks of the season, Hassanein has been a healthy scratch. He has yet to be made active this season, which means that he still hasn't made his NFL debut. Given his strong training camp and preseason performance, it may be time for the fan favorite to finally take the field.
Wonnum has played 44 defensive snaps against the Jets last week, and he has lined up for 61% of Detroit's defensive snaps for the season. Derrick Moore and Tyler Lacy have been seeing action at EDGE as well, but neither player has made much of an impact so far. Eric O'Neill has played some snaps, but his role has also been relatively small.
The Lions have allowed the most points and second-most yards of any team in the league through three weeks. They have clearly punched below their weight so far, but this has largely been a defensive backfield issue. The defensive line has been making plays; in fact, they rank second in the NFL in sacks.
This has mostly been driven by Aidan Hutchinson so far, who is off to an incredible start. No one has established himself as the clear No. 2 on the EDGE, and Wonnum's injury could open up that competition.
Hassanein is far from staking his claim to be the starter opposite Hutch right now. But getting some snaps and showing what he is capable of in Week 4 will be a good start on that path. Whether the coaching staff finally puts its trust in the second-year defender, however, remains to be seen.
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