The Detroit Lions are in the process of preparing their draft board for late April, and arguably the biggest position to watch when the picks get going is along the defensive line.
Detroit continues to need pass-rushing depth, and given that they have not targeted much this offseason, it figures the draft represents their biggest opportunity to make noise within this market. The good news? Defensive linemen are likely to be plentiful.
Marcus Mosher from The 33rd Team authored a few bold predictions for the upcoming draft, and one was an assertion that 10 defensive linemen or more will be picked in the first round, pointing to the overall depth of the group.
"The strength of this class is in the defensive line, as there is high-end talent and plenty of depth. And we should see at least 10+ pass rushers selected by the end of Thursday night. What is unique about this class is that the talent doesn’t stop after Day 1. This is one of the better Day 2 classes of defensive line talent in recent memory. It’s not a sexy draft with elite quarterback or wide receiver prospects, but it does have a lot of quality defensive players, and it will stretch well into night No. 2 of the NFL Draft."
If over 10 linemen go in the first round, that would be significant news for the Lions. It could push another great player down the board to Detroit, such as a guard. Additionally, rushers such as Ohio State's Jack Sawyer, Michigan's Josaiah Stewart, and UCLA's Oluwafemi Oladejo could be available later, proving there are plenty of diverse fits that could offer solutions for the Lions.
Brad Holmes has hinted at seeking depth defensive linemen for Detroit Lions
The Lions haven't prioritized edge rushers in free agency, choosing to re-sign Marcus Davenport as their biggest move. The belief is that Davenport can rebound in 2025, but the Lions need to give their veteran support in case of another injury emergency playing out.
Holmes was quick to remind everyone that the Lions also return Aidan Hutchinson from injury, and his status as an elite edge lends itself to the fact that Detroit might not need to prioritize a top player, but rather develop a complementary piece.
"I know everybody's craving an edge rusher but we have one of, in our opinion, the elite guys. How many elite edge rushers are in the NFL? Four or five? Would you think our guy is one of them? Well, if it's four or five elite edge rushers in the league, how many teams are in the league? 32. Usually two defensive ends are on the field at the same time, so that's 64. So because we have at least one of them, you've got to make sure that you're keeping that in context as well."
With that analysis in mind, the Lions might be likely to pick a lineman down the board rather than make a big trade for Trey Hendrickson or potentially move up for one of the top linemen in the draft. Nobody should be shocked if the Lions take a second and potentially third-round flier on talented pass rushers, especially if the class is as deep as Mosher has advertised.
