As is tradition after the Super Bowl, NFL fans and analysts are scrambling to figure out ways their team can build exactly like the league’s champion. I think this is flawed reasoning because we’re relying on a sample size of single-elimination playoffs and I am also firmly against the idea of copycatting in the NFL. Teams build different ways and find success through various strategies.
But I’ll play along. How do the Detroit Lions build like the Philadelphia Eagles to get over the hump and win their first Super Bowl? For many people, Sunday’s dominant win was proof that the Lions need to get as aggressive as possible to land Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett. Price be damned, the Lions need to get that elite pass rusher.
On the surface, I get the argument. The Eagles’ pass rush was dominant against an inferior Chiefs offensive line. They were able to sack Patrick Mahomes six times on Sunday night without sending more than four pass rushers a single time. There’s no doubt the Eagles winning the trench battle on both sides of the ball is a big reason they are champions this Monday morning.
But saying the Lions need to go all-in on a single pass rusher is ignoring how the Eagles have built their pass rush. Let me explain.
Draft, draft, and more draft
The Eagles’ defensive line is built almost exclusively through the draft—and high draft capital.
- EDGE Nolan Smith — 2023 first-round pick
- EDGE Brandon Graham — 2010 first-round pick
- DT Jordan Davis — 2022 first-round pick
- DT Jalen Carter — 2023 first-round pick
- DT Milton Williams — 2021 third-round pick
- DT Moro Ojomo — 2023 seventh-round pick
- EDGE Josh Sweat — 2018 fourth-round pick
And that doesn’t even account for some of the other huge performances from the Eagles defense on Sunday. Take 2024 second-round pick Cooper DeJean’s pick six or 2024 first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell’s lock-down coverage all year that helps complement Philly’s pass rush.
The Eagles’ defense is proof of concept when it comes to draft and develop—far from an “F THEM PICKS” mentality. In the past three drafts, the Eagles have spent eight of 10 Day 1 or Day 2 picks on defense—half of those spent on the defensive line. The other Day 1 or 2 picks? Offensive line, offensive line. Build through the trenches.
Depth, depth, and more depth
Whereas Lions fans are dreaming about having not just one, but two elite pass rushers, the Eagles’ ability to get to the passer is not just about one or two players or a single position. It’s about everything and everyone working in harmony.
This year, the Eagles didn’t have a single player with more than 8.0 sacks. They only had a single edge rusher (Josh Sweat, 59) with more than 50 pressures all season—including the playoffs (reminder: Aidan Hutchinson had 45 pressures in five games).
Yet, collectively, they had PFF’s second-highest pass rush grade and ESPN’s eighth-highest pass rush win rate.
That’s because the Eagles have built tremendous depth at the position. It’s not about one player. So when Brandon Graham went down in Week 12, the Eagles didn’t skip a beat. Milton Williams stepped up and produced 33 pressures in the next nine games—and two sacks and a forced fumble in the Super Bowl.
Ironically, the Eagles’ biggest pass rush investment outside of the draft—signing Bryce Huff to a three-year, $51.1 million deal in 2024 free agency—produced just 23 pressures and 2.5 sacks in 12 games. He was a healthy scratch for the Super Bowl.
What’s perhaps even most interesting about the Eagles’ pass rush is that they used to have a single pass-rushing threat on the edge. Haason Reddick produced back-to-back seasons of 10+ sacks for the Eagles in 2022 and 2023. What did they end up doing with him this year? Traded him away for a 2026 third-round pick. Reddick ended up playing 10 games for the Jets this year and tallied just a single sack. It was never just about one player in Philly.
Yes, the Lions have Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill to pair with a third, potential pass rushing star, but Detroit is still woefully thin beyond those three. Meanwhile, the Eagles thrived without two of their biggest pass rushing threats from 2023 for a large portion of the season (Reddick, Graham).
Interior pass rush is just as important, if not more
The key when pressuring a player like Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl or Jayden Daniels in the NFC Championship game is getting your entire defensive line to work in harmony to clog up rushing lanes. Not only did the Eagles sack Mahomes and Daniels a collective nine times, but the duo rushed for just 73 total yards in those games.
Philly’s pass rush is defined by their interior presence. When it comes to their leaders in pressures (per PFF), three of their top five are interior defenders: Jalen Carter (73 pressures), Milton Williams (50), and Moro Ojomo (36).
As for PFF pass rushing grade, the Eagles don’t have a single edge rusher ranked in the top 30 across the NFL. However, they have three defensive tackles ranked in the top 10:
- Milton Williams (second, 90.4)
- Moro Ojomo: (fifth, 82.6)
- Jalen Carter (seventh, 81.5)
If you can disrupt quarterbacks from the heart of the defensive line, you can make a lot of great things happen. Re-watch the Super Bowl, and see where Philly was generating the most disruption.
The Lions’ pass rush already has top-end talent, now they need depth
As noted before, the Lions already have two really important pieces when it comes to their pass rush. Hutchinson is a beast and McNeill continues to grow and thrive. Both finished top-15 at their position when it comes to PFF pass rush (Hutchinson first, McNeill 12th). But Detroit lacks any semblance of depth, so when one (or in 2024’s case, both) got injured, the Lions had no answer.
I’m not saying the Lions don’t need to invest in their defensive line. In fact, I’m saying quite the opposite. They need to invest more and more and more. But I don’t think this defensive line is a piece away. I think it is several pieces away. If they want to build a pass rush that resembles the Eagles’ dominant group, they are going to need a multi-year investment at the position.
And, look, the Lions have tried. They drafted Hutchinson, McNeill, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzurike all with Day 1 or 2 picks. Half of those have worked out, half of them haven’t (yet). If the Lions were a little more efficient with those picks, they may have had their shot at Philly in the NFC Championship game.
I’m not completely against a move to get Garrett. I’ve said as much in the past, and I am fully behind improving this team’s pass rush. However, I just don’t think using the Philadelphia Eagles as an example of proof of concept makes any sense when they built their entire defense through investment via the draft and building depth beyond a player or two.
