It seems like a foregone conclusion that the Detroit Lions are going to make a big investment in an edge rusher during the 2025 NFL offseason.
It's a major need for them after the team struggled to take down opposing quarterbacks during the 2024 season.
Aidan Hutchinson was the team's leader in sacks this past season despite only playing in five games and they didn't really have a close second.
Luckily, they're going to have some appealing options available to them this offseason.
There are some big names that are seen as trade candidates and there is also a lot of talent in this year's free agent class.
One of those free agents is a former Defensive Player of the Year and the Lions are seen as a top potential landing spot for him.
In an article examining where the top free agent defensive linemen could end up this offseason, Pro Football Focus' Mason Cameron named the Lions as a top landing spot for Los Angeles Chargers edge Khalil Mack.
Mack had a monster 2023 season for the Chargers. He racked up 17 sacks, 74 total tackles, and five forced fumbles during his second season in LA.
2024 didn't see him put up such gaudy numbers. He only managed six sacks, but still had 49 pressures, and actually led all edge rushers with six batted passes according to PFF.
While the downturn in his stats isn't really what you want to see, he was tied for second on the team in sacks and there could be one obvious reason why his numbers were down so much.
He played 318 less snaps in 2024.
The Chargers also blitzed much less this past season, going from a 31.5% blitz rate in 2023 to 23.8% in 2024.
Meanwhile, the Lions had the second-highest blitz rate in the league in 2024 at 34.6%.
With the higher blitz rate and opposing offenses focusing their attention on Hutchinson, a move to the Lions would give Mack more opportunities to wreak havoc in opposing backfields and bring his numbers back up.
He'll be expensive, but Mack would be worth the investment for the Lions as they attempt to revamp their defense following their disappointing playoff performance.
He might not be as exciting of an option as some of the players who have been brought up as trade candidates, but it doesn't get much better than Mack in free agency and he's certainly somebody the Lions should have their eye on if they go the free agent route.
