With their 2025 preseason officially underway, the Detroit Lions have plenty of roster spots up for grabs.
Some of the spots being competed for are a bit more high-profile, like their backup QB job, starting role at defensive tackle, and the competition across the interior of their offensive line.
However, there are some smaller roles that are also there to be won this offseason.
Those include some spots on the depth chart at edge rusher.
Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski thinks one of these competitions might not end well for a former second-round pick.
In a recent article, Sobleski named Lions edge rusher Josh Paschal as a potential cut candidate.
Paschal has never come close to paying off the Lions' investment in him. Detroit selected him 46th overall in 2022. His career has been a struggle since then.
As a rookie Paschal had two sacks and 16 total tackles in 10 games. The next year he only managed one sack and brought his tackle total up to 25.
This past season, he ended up in the biggest role of his career. With Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport injured, Paschal played in 14 games, started 10, and had a career-high 61% snap share.
He turned the opportunity into just two sacks and 21 total tackles. His 31 total pressures ranked 57th at his position according to Pro Football Focus.
That may not be enough for him to keep his job.
While the Lions are still missing a real second option to play alongside Hutchinson, what they aren't missing is depth on the edge.
They have Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ahmed Hassanein, Mitchell Agude, Isaac Ukwu, and Nate Lynn all competing with Paschal for depth roles.
Right now Paschal is on the non-football injury list, so he isn't available to compete and might not be ready for the start of the regular season.
There is also still hope that the Lions might add another veteran to start at the position this offseason.
That could leave Paschal as the odd man out ahead of a season that would have been his last chance to prove himself to the Lions anyway.
