Despite having one of the deepest rosters in football, the Detroit Lions still have a pressing need at edge rusher. The team doesn’t have a starting-caliber player at the position outside of Aidan Hutchinson, and has yet to replace Za’Darius Smith, who was released before the start of free agency.
Though a reunion with Smith could be the solution to Detroit’s pass rushing issue, USA TODAY’s Ayrton Ostly lists the Lions as a potential landing spot for free agent edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.
“Detroit is making another push for a championship in 2025 and spent their top draft pick on the interior defensive line by selecting Tyleik Williams in Round 1. They know the trenches lead the way on both sides of the ball so getting another veteran presence in the rotation could be a good safeguard against injury. Clowney fits the mold of a Lions edge rusher at 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds with a penchant for good run defense,” Ostly wrote.
Clowney has bounced around the league over the last few seasons and will be on a new team for the third consecutive year, as he was released by the Carolina Panthers on Thursday.
Though he isn’t an elite pass rusher, Clowney has been a solid player for most of his career and posted 5.5 sacks and 44 quarterback pressures in 14 games last year. The 2016 second-team All-Pro selection tallied 9.5 sacks and 78 quarterback pressures in his last fully healthy season with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
Adding Clowney would be a savvy post-draft move by general manager Brad Holmes, as the veteran won’t be expensive to sign and would immediately step in as a starter on Kelvin Sheppard’s defense. Additionally, the South Carolina product would take a ton of pressure off Hutchinson and be the perfect complementary pass rusher with a high motor.
Re-signing Smith or chasing a big name on the trade market, such as Trey Hendrickson, are exciting moves. However, signing Clowney to a cheap deal to serve as an adequate starter on the defense would also be a logical acquisition by Holmes and the Lions front office. He still has some gas left in the tank, and his veteran experience would be incredibly valuable.
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