A couple things says it all about the Detroit Lions pass rush in 2024. As great as his performance was before suffering a broken left leg, Aidan Hutchinson played less than five full games and led the team with 7.5 sacks. In second place behind him was Za'Darius Smith with four sacks, and he played just eight games after being acquired from the Cleveland Browns at the trade deadline.
Injuries depleted the defensive front, and while there should be some obvious correction on the health front this year the edge rusher mix is still Hutchinson and a bunch of question marks.
There is a lot of internal faith that Marcus Davenport can stay healthy and produce this year, which he has not done in a few years. Some people may try to tell you Al-Quadin Muhammad, Nate Lynn and others of their ilk are suitable options after performing well during the preseason, but they are at best unproven and at worst inadequate when it comes time for games that count.
There is also the lingering notion Smith will be brought back as Tuesday's deadline to be down to a 53-man active roster looms. But if Smith has no other options, or the Lions are his absolute preferred option, what's everyone waiting for?
General manager Brad Holmes has gotten defiant when asked about the easy perception that priority has not been placed on adding another edge rusher to pair with Hutchinson. Not that it's easy to acquire another edge of Hutchinson's caliber, or even expected, but re-signing Davenport and using a Day 3 pick on a promising and now-injured rookie is not a convincing argument that more can't be done to bolster the position. To ignore that reality is to wear Honolulu Blue-tinted glasses, which is apparently what Holmes would like whenever the edge rusher topic comes up.
Trade proposal is a deal Brad Holmes might actually do
ESPN's Bill Barnwell has a Lions' trade among his 10 trade proposals as Tuesday's deadline for each team to be down to 53 players looms.
Patriots get: 2026 sixth-round pick
Lions get: Edge Anfernee Jennings, 2026 seventh-round pick
"There was a time when New England once looted the Lions for a talented, two-way linebacker who didn't fit their system and landed an underrated player in Kyle Van Noy. The Lions are here to get their revenge. A former third-round pick by previous Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Jennings is a stout run defender on the edge who had nine quarterback knockdowns last season across 831 defensive snaps. He isn't a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender."
"Jennings is owed $2.5 million in 2025, about half of which is guaranteed. He doesn't appear to be in new coach Mike Vrabel's plans, but I like him as a fit in Detroit, where the Lions could stand to add a little more edge depth. Josh Paschal is expected to miss the first month of the season, and they can't be sure of what they'll get from Marcus Davenport, who has been limited to just six games over the past two seasons because of injuries. Jennings would be a reasonable backup end for the Lions with the potential to play more if needed. The cost -- a swap of late-round picks -- wouldn't be prohibitive."
READ MORE: ESPN projection confirms inevitable 2025 outcome for Aidan Hutchinson
Scars from the Matt Patricia era may still make Lions' fans cringe at any mention of the Patriots. But let's leave that aside, and try to see Jennings for what he is.
After starting seven games over the course of the 2020 and 2022 seasons, with a missed season in 2021 in-between, Jennings has started 30 games and played over 1,500 defensive snaps for the Patriots over the last two seasons. He had at least 66 total tackles in both seasons, with a total of 21 tackles for loss. Last year, he earned a top-20 run defense grade among edge defenders from Pro Football Focus (79.8).
At 255 pounds, Jennings is a little lighter than the Lions tend to prefer in their edge rushers. But he is a viable depth piece and if he could be had for swap of sixth-round picks the cost, as Barnwell noted, "wouldn't be prohibitive."
And, if Smith isn't coming back, this is the kind of trade for an edge rusher Holmes would actually entertain.
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