The Detroit Lions had high hopes for the 2024 NFL season, believing it could be the year they finally reached their first-ever Super Bowl. However, they fell short of that goal. Now, with plenty of cap space and defensive holes to address heading into the 2025 offseason, the Lions are looking for ways to improve.
A recent trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department suggests that the Lions could make a huge splash by acquiring a big-name player to bolster their defense. The hypothetical trade would send Detroit’s first-round picks in 2025 and 2026, along with quarterback Hendon Hooker, to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for edge rusher Maxx Crosby and the Raiders’ fifth-round pick in this year’s draft.
Maxx Crosby, who has been one of the top defensive players in the league, would provide a major upgrade to Detroit’s pass rush. Although Crosby’s 2024 season was a bit down compared to his previous years, with only 7.5 sacks in 12 games, he still generated 35 pressures. In the two seasons prior, he was a dominant force, registering 12.5 sacks and 47 pressures in 2022, and 14.5 sacks and 50 pressures in 2023, earning an All-Pro selection and finishing high in the Defensive Player of the Year voting both years.
If Crosby were to team up with Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions would have one of the league’s most fearsome pass-rushing duos, addressing a key area of need while potentially improving their coverage issues. This deal would also allow the Lions to maintain significant draft capital to fill other gaps on their roster in 2025.
For a team ready to make a Super Bowl push, Crosby could be the game-changer the Lions need, and if they can land him at this proposed price, it would be a move worth making.
