From all accounts, the Detroit Lions will be making a concerted effort to upgrade their pass-rushing unit this offseason. And they’ll likely be targeting two positions to do just that: EDGE and the interior of the defensive line.
Arguably the Lions’ bigger need of the two lies at EDGE, where Detroit general manager Brad Holmes is still looking for a reliable counterpart for Aidan Hutchinson three years after the Michigan native was drafted.
If Holmes & Co. decide to go the free-agency route to address the position, Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Josh Sweat would be a more-than-worthwhile target.
Sweat, checking in at 6-foot-5, 265 pounds, is coming off a dominant performance in Super Bowl 59. He amassed six total tackles, including two for loss, three quarterback hits and two-and-a-half sacks of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the winning effort for the Eagles.
Sweat, a 2021 Pro Bowl selection, has produced 43 total sacks since being drafted by Philadelphia in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Additionally, he’s recorded at least six sacks each season since 2020, including a career-best 11 sacks in 2022.
Then this past regular season, the 27-year-old compiled eight sacks, 37 quarterback hurries and 54 total pressures. And for his efforts, he received a 71.5 pass-rush grade from Pro Football Focus. In addition, he earned a PFF overall mark of 75.7, good for the 28th-best grade among 211 qualified EDGE defenders.
He’ll be one of the best EDGEs available in this year’s free-agent class. So, he certainly should command a pretty penny on the open market. Spotrac, in fact, projects him to land a three-year, $56.4 million deal, worth roughly $18.8M a season. This price tag might be too high for Holmes’ liking, and subsequently take Detroit out of the Sweat sweepstakes.
However, if Holmes can look past that, it would be advantageous for the organization to make a serious pursuit of the longtime Eagles defender. Undeniably, Sweat would provide the Lions with a proficient running mate for Hutchinson and beef up the team's pass-rushing department.
