Lions Named Top Landing Spot for Former No. 1 Pick Edge Rusher

The Detroit Lions are looking forward to getting Aidan Hutchinson back on the field after he lost most of the 2024 season to a fractured leg, but could still use more help for their star edge rusher.

Hutchinson was on a tear at the time he broke his leg in a win over the Dallas Cowboys, racking up 7.5 sacks in just five games. The Lions struggled to make up his production, with trade deadline acquisition Za’Darius Smith registering 4.0 sacks and no other player coming close to Hutchinson’s total.

One insider believes the Lions could look for some veteran help before this season, targeting one of the best edge rushers still available on the open market.

Lions Could Add Veteran Edge Rusher to Defense

Nick Brinkerhoff of USA Today Sports broke down the top landing spots for the best remaining free agents in the NFL, suggesting the Lions would be a top fit for former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.

Brinkerhoff noted that Clowney still has a lot to contribute, even if he won’t become a team’s star edge rusher.

“Clowney never lived up to the hype of being the top pick in the 2014 draft, bouncing around to six different teams in the last seven seasons,” Brinkerhoff wrote. “Despite that reality, he has played 11 seasons and is looking to make it 12 in 2025. After tying his career-high with 9.5 sacks for the Ravens in 2023, he followed it up with just 5.5 with the Panthers last season. Clowney is a complementary piece that can work into a pass-rushing rotation, likely for a team that is dreaming big.”

Clowney hit free agency after being released by the Panthers in a cap-cutting move. He has played for five different teams over the last six seasons and often came in late, signing in April or later four times, NFL.com’s Nick Shook noted.

Another Edge Rushing Option for Detroit

Brinkerhoff suggested another possibility for the Lions to give Hutchinson some help off the edge — a reunion with Smith. The veteran remains available after being released by the Lions earlier in the offseason, and many insiders have suggested that the Lions have kept the door open for him to return.

Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports reported that the Lions have kept in contact with Smith after he was released.

“Here’s where things are right now. We know that the Lions and Smith have maintained contact since the release went down,” Payton wrote. “The last time [Lions general manager Brad] Holmes says he spoke with Smith was before the league meetings in early April.”

Payton added that the Lions put the ball in Smith’s court, allowing him to decide whether he wanted to come back to Detroit for another season and the chance to win a Super Bowl.

“Ahead of the draft, Holmes said the Lions had left things in the hands of Smith’s agent and that his agent would let Detroit know if something was going on or if things changed,” Payton wrote. “At the BET Awards in early June, Smith told USA Today that he wanted to be back in Detroit. That’s where we’re at right now. We’ll see what happens in the next two weeks.”