Continuing one of their most eventful offseasons of the past decade, the Detroit Lions enter the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 28 pick of the first round. After losing a significant portion of their coaching staff, the Lions will enter Green Bay with multiple roster holes to fill.
While most of Detroit’s offseason turnover occurred on the sidelines, it still lost a significant amount of production on the field. The Lions watched Carlton Davis III, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Kevin Zeitler and Kindle Vildor walk in free agency. The team also released veteran defensive end Za’Darius Smith, whom they traded for during the 2024 season following Aidan Hutchinson’s gruesome leg injury.
Without much cap space to work with, the Lions were unable to make a big splash in free agency. They managed to sign veteran cornerback D.J. Reed away from the New York Jets to replace Davis but are otherwise left with several question marks to address at the draft. Reed’s signing fills the vacancy at cornerback, making defensive end the team’s top priority. That is the position general manager Brad Holmes must address in the first round, ideally with Marshall’s Mike Green.
In a class loaded with edge-rushing talent, Green is seemingly flying under the radar. The 2024 Division I sacks leader is still projected to be a first-round pick, but not until the tail end of Day One. With Holmes holding the No. 28 pick of the draft, Green is a prospect he has to be targeting at the end of round one.
Lions lacking DE depth after free agency
By releasing Smith, the Lions made themselves fairly thin at defensive end. Smith is not the player he once was, but he still managed four sacks in his eight games with Detroit to end his 10th professional season. Aside from Hutchinson, Detroit is now left with a unit consisting of Al-Quadin Muhammad, Josh Pascal and Marcus Davenport on the outside. All three are serviceable edge-rushers, but none command enough attention opposite Hutchinson to free up their star pass-rusher.
Early in the offseason, Hutchinson made a plea for the Lions to pursue disgruntled Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett. It was a long shot, but there is a reason he made his case. While Hutchinson has emerged as an elite pass-rusher, he has yet to receive consistent help in that department. Detroit initially appeared to have a vigorous one-two punch with James Houston’s promising rookie campaign, but that production quickly proved to be a mirage.
Without another strong pass-rusher on the line, Hutchinson continues to be one of the NFL’s most double-teamed defensive ends. With Hutchinson coming off a devastating injury, the Lions cannot thrust him back into that role off the bat. He needs help up front, and Mike Green is more than capable of being that guy.
Aidan Hutchinson injury insurance
Of the handful of star players coming off season-ending injuries in 2024, Hutchinson’s was arguably the worst. Broken bones are never easy to recover from, and Hutchinson’s nasty leg break was truly one of the worst in NFL history. For a player who thrives off as much speed and athleticism as he does, there is no telling how Hutchinson will look when he comes back.
When he is healthy, Hutchinson is easily a top-five defensive end in the league. Before suffering the injury, Hutchinson had never previously missed a game in his professional career. Yet, even considering his durable reputation, an injury of that nature cannot be overlooked.
Even if he does not return to full form, three-fourths of Aidan Hutchinson is still better than 80 percent of players in his position. The Lions just cannot rely on him so heavily without providing any insurance. Hutchinson was leading the league with 7.5 sacks in his first five games before going down.
Once Hutchinson went down, it was clear how much his absence had an impact on the Lions’ defense. Aaron Glenn’s man-heavy schemes are heavily reliant on generating pressure against the pass, thus prompting the midseason trade for Smith. Campbell’s promotion of Sheppard to replace Glenn clearly set forth his intention to keep the same system.
Mike Green is a Dan Campbell-type prospect
If the Lions rightfully decide to address defensive end in the first round, few prospects of the 2025 NFL Draft are more Dan Campbell-esque than Mike Green. After his career got off to a rocky start at Virginia Tech, Green flourished after transferring to Marshall, where he racked up 21.5 sacks in two seasons.
A former three-star recruit, Green has the speed and power that give him the physical tools to become a future star. More importantly, he has the grit and tenacity Campbell demands from his players. If he flames out and ends up being a draft bust, it will not be due to a lack of effort.
Late in the first round, Detroit will likely have their choice of edge-rushers still available. Shemar Stewart, James Pearce Jr., Jordan Burch and Donovan Ezeiruaku all join Green as those expected to be taken near the end of the first round. All could go much higher in the process, but the Lions should hope that Green will be available to them in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
