Lions finally prioritize their biggest need in very early 2026 mock draft

Before a season-ending leg injury last season, Aidan Hutchinson was on pace for a historic campaign and a runaway Defensive Player of the Year win. Even though he only played five games, he still led the Detroit Lions in sacks with 7.5 and behind him was midseason acquisition Za'Darius Smith (four sacks in eight games as a Lion).

Every chance he gets, general manager Brad Holmes has talked about how hard it is to acquire another good edge rusher. He's right, but wish-casting about Marcus Davenport after re-signing him and using a Day 3 pick in April on an edge rusher are half-measures to try to solve the problem. Having someone viable opposite Hutchinson was also a problem in 2023, when no other edge rusher had more than two sacks.

Smith has made it clear he'd like to come back to the Lions after he was waived early this offseason, but it doesn't seem like the feeling is mutual. It's plausible that Smith, as a veteran, didn't want to worry about being at OTAs or mandatory minicamp and the Lions will bring him back in the coming weeks. Let's not hold our breath on that though.

Lions finally make a notable investment in No. 1 need via early 2026 mock draft

Maybe Davenport stays healthy this season and produces. Maybe sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein hits the ground running as a rookie. But edge rusher seems sure to be high on the list of needs for the Lions heading into the 2026 offseason, and the draft feels like the far more likely path to adding one of any note.

ESPN's Matt Miller has done a very early first-round mock draft for 2026, and at pick No. 29 he has the Lions adding Florida edge rusher Tyreak Sapp.

"Surprisingly, the Lions chose not to draft an edge rusher to help Aidan Hutchinson-- especially considering the star pass rusher is returning from a season-ending leg injury. Sapp is coming off a career-best seven sacks last season and has the ideal strength at 6-foot-3, 272 pounds to stack up against the run while also showing the quickness to win with his first step. Adding Sapp to Hutchinson, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and 2025 first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams would give Detroit one heck of a defensive front."

Sapp, who is not related to Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Sapp, had a breakthrough season for the Gators in 2024 with seven sacks and 13 tackles for loss. His 90.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus was ninth-best among FBS edge rushers. At 6-foot-3 and 272 pounds, he absolutely fits the size profile the Lions seek in edge rushers.

Finding someone who can provide consistent pass rush off the edge opposite Hutchinson may be a never-ending thing for the Lions. But the time is coming for a notable investment in the effort to find a second viable edge rusher, and the first round of next April's draft is lining up as the time to strike.