The Detroit Lions entered the 2024 offseason needing an edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, and general manager Brad Holmes addressed this by signing veteran Marcus Davenport.
However, that plan unraveled quickly when Davenport sustained a season-ending elbow injury in Week 3. To compound the issue, Hutchinson also suffered a significant injury shortly after.
In response, the Lions traded for Za’Darius Smith, hoping he could fill the gap and help the team push for the Super Bowl, where Hutchinson is expected to return.
The trade for Smith was even more strategic because he is under contract for 2025, giving the Lions a potential full season with both Smith and Hutchinson next year, eliminating the immediate need for another edge rusher.
Still, the Lions may need to plan for the future at the position, given Smith’s age (32) and limited potential as a long-term solution beyond 2025.
One potential solution could come in the 2025 NFL Draft, where Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer projects the Lions to select Ohio State edge rusher Jack Sawyer.
“Sawyer has the relentlessness to fit the Lions’ current aggressive makeup, and Aaron Glenn would like his chess-piece ability to help well beyond the complementary pass rush for Aidan Hutchinson,” Iyer wrote.
Though Sawyer’s sack totals are modest—17 in three-plus seasons, including a career-best 6.5 in 2023 and three in 2024—he fits the Lions’ culture.
A high-effort, high-IQ player who excels against the run, Sawyer has the tools to become an impactful pass rusher with NFL coaching and could be the long-term solution Detroit needs opposite Hutchinson.
