Da'Shawn

Hand

Hand played in 16 games for the Dolphins last season and totaled 17 tackles and one sack. The sixth-year vet has started just 11 games in his career and played on only 294 defensive snaps over these last three seasons. Hand could have a chance to see more snaps this season with Christian Wilkins now gone and the Dolphins doing what they can to revamp their interior.

Hand has had a career mired by injuries but has been productive off the edge when healthy. He should challenge for rotational snaps in new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s aggressive defense.

Hand injured his quad in Week 1 against the Giants and will require season-ending surgery, according to the team. This is the second major injury for a Tennessee defensive lineman. The Titans could struggle to stop and run and put consistent pressure on opposing QBs with little depth on the defensive line.

Hand, a former Alabama defensive lineman drafted by the Lions in 2018, spent time on Tennessee’s practice squad in 2021 and played in Week 18 against Houston. Hand appeared in 29 games across four seasons with Detroit. He has a decent chance to land on the active roster to start next season.

Hand played in three games this season, registering six tackles along with a pass deflection. The Lions signed WR Travis Fulgham to the active roster from the practice squad in a corresponding roster move.

Jarrad Davis (ankle) surprisingly returns to Detroit’s lineup in his first game action since the team’s opening drive in their season opener. With Perkins scratched, Kerryon Johnson and Ty Johnson are expected to soak up a majority of backfield work ahead of J.D. McKissic.

Hand has earned positive grades from Pro Football Focus highlighted by his No. 6 pass rushing grade among 116 qualified interior defensive linemen. The 2018 No. 114 overall pick will finish his rookie campaign with three sacks, four tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, two forced fumbles and 22 solo tackles. The former No. 1 high school recruit has been an underrated find for the Lions.

The Lions gave up a 2019 third-rounder to get this pick from New England. Hand (6’4/297) was a four-year contributor and one-year starter on the Crimson Tide’s deep defensive front, tallying 14.5 career tackles for loss and nine sacks and earning second-team All-SEC from the conference’s coaches as a senior. The No. 1 recruit in the nation out of high school, Hand was seen as an underachiever in Tuscaloosa but has always possessed high-end traits and pass-rush potential, and showed blazing size-adjusted speed at the Combine (4.83). Experienced both on the edge and inside, Hand has a Cameron Heyward-level ceiling if he puts it all together.