The Detroit Lions struck gold when they drafted Aidan Hutchinson with the No. 2 overall pick in 2022, but their subsequent efforts to find a pass-rushing counterpart have fallen flat.
The Lions could change that with a blockbuster trade this offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox broke down the potential trade packages for Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons, who just demanded a trade on Friday. Knox suggested the Lions could come out ahead, but it would require a huge package of draft picks and the team’s most effective edge rusher not named Hutchinson.
Lions Spend Huge Draft Capital for Micah Parsons
Knox suggested that the Lions would be able to land Parsons by giving up their first-round picks for the next two years, as well as their second- and third-round picks in 2026. The Lions would also send pass-rusher Marcus Davenport and receive a fifth-round pick next season in return.
He added that the Lions could be willing to spend an enormously high price to put them over the hump.
“The Cowboys don’t appear eager to trade Parsons at all, and they probably have even less interest in trading him within the conference,” Knox wrote. “However, the Detroit Lions should be very interested in trying to swing a deal.”
Knox suggested that Parsons could be the final piece to make the Lions a Super Bowl contender.
“The Lions will be legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season if they can experience better injury fortune than they had a year ago. However, they still need a high-end edge-rusher to complement Aidan Hutchinson and build a complete roster.”
Knox added that it could be especially complicated for the Lions given that Hutchinson is eligible for a contract extension and could end up with the biggest contract for a non-quarterback in NFL history.
“To do it, Detroit might have to convince Hutchinson to take a bit less than Parsons and find a creative way to structure the two deals,” Knox wrote. “With $51.1 million in cap space, though, the Lions could at least lay the groundwork for those contracts.”
Cowboys Star Draws His Line in the Sand
Though Parsons had been in contract negotiations with many insiders believing the two sides would eventually reach a deal, the Cowboys star released a statement on Friday revealing his demand for a trade
“I stayed quiet but again after repeated shots at myself and all the narratives I have made a tough decision I no longer want to play for the Dallas Cowboys,” he wrote, via NFL.com. “My trade request has been submitted to Stephen Jones personally.”
Parsons, who is in the final year of his rookie contract, placed blame on the team for their approach to the contract negotiations.
“Unfortunately I no longer want to be here,” Parsons wrote. “I no longer want to be held to [closed-door] negotiations without my agent present. I no longer want shots taken at me for getting injured while laying it on the line for the organization, our fans and my teammates. I no longer want narratives created and spread to the media about me.”
