Edge rusher stands as the top need for the Detroit Lions after the first week or so of free agency. It could be comfortably addressed in the draft, with a deep class at the position offering ample good options who can help immediately.
Thus far, the only significant moves the Lions have made with their edge rusher mix are to release Za'Darius Smith and re-sign Marcus Davenport. That seemingly "either or" choice is easy to lament, or outright criticize. There's some overly optimistic "if healthy" projecting going on with Davenport, and Mike Tanier of Too Deep Zone hit the nail on the head as he lightly criticized the Lions lack of action to add an edge rusher in free agency.
"Seriously: neither Joey Bosa nor Josh Sweat would have broken the bank, and even a Donte Fowler might have provided high ROI as the “other” guy on the defensive line. Instead, the Lions re-signed Marcus Davenport, now entering his eighth season as a toolsy prospect."
The Lions continue to do little more than re-sign people as the second week of free agency rolls on, as if their Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders was a reason to just run it back pretty much as-is.
Still, it feels likely they'll add a veteran free agent edge rusher as the market narrows and contract prices come down. So here are five options who could be on the Lions' radar.
5 available veteran edge rushers the Detroit Lions could sign
5. Von Miller
Miller is more name than game at his stage of his career, but he can certainly work as a situational pass rusher and he'd surely prefer to sign with a contender.
Over just 279 defensive snaps for the Bills last season, Miller had six sacks with 32 pressures ans he ranked top-15 (per Pro Football Focus) among edge rushers in pass rush win rate (18.4 percent) and overall pass rush productivity.
Miller will turn 36 on Mar. 26, and he has not played more than 450 defensive snaps in any of the last three seasons. But he and the Lions can be made to make a lot of sense as a match, and it's not like the options for Detroit are robust at this point.
4. DeMarcus Walker
Walker (6-foot-4, 280 pounds) fits the physical profile the Lions favor in edge players. Over the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears, he had 86 pressures (according to Pro Football Focus) with a total of seven sacks. He is also alignment-versatile, and a solid run defender. Oh, and he has also played all 17 games in each of the last three seasons and more than 700 defensive snaps in each of the last two. Let's call him the "anti-Davenport" in terms of being available.
3. Matthew Judon
After missing most of the 2023 season with the New England Patriots due to a torn bicep, Judon was traded the Atlanta Falcons. The idea he'd notably add to an Atlanta pass rush that sorely needed it did not come to fruition (4.5 sacks and 25 pressures in 17 games). He was probably not the best fit for Atlanta's defensive scheme, as noted by Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire, but he does generally fit what the Lions like in edge rushers (size and skill set).
Judon's 2022 production (17 sacks, 69 pressures) is an unrepeatable memory now as he approaches 33 years old. But that doesn't mean the Grand Valley State alum and Pontiac (MI) native can't be a very useful player in the right defense, and the Lions should have him somewhere on their radar.
2. Emmanuel Ogbah
Talks between Ogbah and the Dolphins about him returning to Miami are apparently not going all that well. Last season he played a hefty role in the Dolphins' defense (733 defensive snaps, 16 starts) with five sacks and nine tackles for loss and the best PFF run defense grade of his career (72.4). So he's probably seeking a noticeable raise after playing for $3.25 million last season, and the Dolphins are hesitating.
Ogbah has been a steady, if unspectatular, producer throughout his nine-year career. He has had fewer than five sacks just once in the last six seasons, with nine sacks in a season twice over that span. The Dolphins apparently realized how good he his, with a noticeable uptick in snap share last season.
Ogbah can lineup across a defensive front, and as is common (if not a pre-requisite) for this list he fits the size profile the Lions want in edge players (6-foot-4, 278 pounds). He also has something (a Super Bowl ring, though he finished that season injured) every Lion wants.
1. Za'Darius Smith
If the Lions are so committed to bringing everyone back, why not bring Smith back on a different and more palatable contract? The contract they inherited after acquiring him from the Browns was begging for a restructuring, though it also cleared the way to release him with cap savings and no dead money. With four void years (thanks to the Browns), getting a contract restructure done that worked may have just been too difficult.
Smith was exactly what the Lions hoped he'd be after they acquired him. Over eight regular season games for them last season, he had four sacks and 36 quarterback pressures to bolster a pass rush that needed all the juice it could get without Aidan Hutchinson. His worse Pro Football Focus grade of the season came in the playoff loss to Washington, but he was hardly the only Lions' defender who had an awful showing in that game.
It feels unlikely the Lions would release Smith only to eventually bring him back, but it shouldn't be out of the question and if he lingers available much longer a quick reunion could be in play. Remember we never saw him and Aidan Hutchinson on the field together last season.
