The Detroit Lions' pass-rush has been highly scrutinized by analysts throughout the offseason, as the lack of a big-name addition opposite of Aidan Hutchinson has been met with criticism.
Detroit did re-sign Marcus Davenport and Al-Quadin Muhammad to one-year contracts and drafted Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth-round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Hutchinson will be locked into one defensive end spot, but the Lions could hold a competition for the right to start opposite of him.
On Thursday, another potential Lions target may have hit the open market when the Cleveland Browns released Ogbo Okoronkwo ahead of the final year of his current contract. He was released as a corresponding move for the team signing kicker Andre Szmyt.
Okoronkwo signed a three-year deal worth $19 million prior to the 2023 season and was set to count for $5,316,000 for the 2025 campaign. With the Browns having signed Myles Garrett to a contract extension worth $40 million per year and later adding former Buccaneers pass-rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Okoronkwo was deemed expendable.
The Lions clearly would benefit from adding more firepower to a pass-rush unit that finished in the bottom half of the league in sacks. However, Hutchinson's presence for a full season would serve as a benefit for the defense and likely would've led to a higher finish.
Okoronkwo has never had flashy production throughout his career, posting a total of 17 sacks. Beginning his career as a fifth-round pick of the Rams in 2018, he did not see action until the 2019 season when he appeared in 10 games predominately as an outside linebacker.
Notably, Okoronkwo was drafted by the Rams while current Lions general manager Brad Holmes was with that organization as the director of college scouting.
He appeared in 33 games over three years with the Rams, winning a Super Bowl in the process during Matthew Stafford's first year with the team in 2021. He would sign with the Houston Texans in 2022 and had his best statistical showing to day, notching five sacks and nine tackles for loss.
For his efforts with Houston, Okoronkwo landed with the Browns on a three-year deal. He played a rotational role, as the Browns also had Garrett and Za'Darius Smith in the mix. In 2023, he had 4.5 sacks. Last season, he finished with three.
Heading into his age-30 season, the veteran doesn't profile as a player who would offer double-digit sacks for the Lions' defense. While he could be a prolific run defender and have some pass-rush upside, it doesn't appear likely that he would provide elements of his game that players already on roster don't already have.
Even with Davenport's durability being a cause for concern, the Lions already have intriguing options such as Muhammad, Hassanein, Josh Paschal and Mitchell Agude. As a result, if the Lions are to make an addition for their pass-rush, it would be better suited to make a splash.
The Lions would be better off passing on Okoronkwo for the time being, though he could be an appealing option if they endure injury issues as a veteran stopgap similar to what Muhammad did for the team last season.
