The Detroit Lions are expected to invest some serious draft capital in an edge rusher, shoring up one of the weakest positions on their defense.
They could also take a swing at one of the top pass rushers on the trade market, an insider suggests. Mike Payton of AtoZSports said the Lions could be a top contender for Odafe Oweh, the Baltimore Ravens edge rusher who is identified as a contender to hit the trade block.
Lions Could Make Big Investments in Pass Rushing Group
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported, the Ravens are willing to entertain trade offers for their former first-round pick during the NFL draft. Oweh was named as one of a handful of veterans deemed “expendable” by teams that could consider a move up the draft board.
After a slow start to his career — starting just 13 games and making 13 total sacks through his first three NFL seasons — Oweh had a career-best year in 2024. The 26-year-old edge rusher started 10 games, making 10.0 sacks and 39 total tackles.
Payton suggested the Lions could be willing to make a deal for Oweh.
“With all the new contracts that the Ravens are going to have to do, they could bail on Oweh in favor of drafting in a deep edge class, and the Lions could take on the 26-year-old on his fifth-year option and work to extend him,” Payton wrote.
Payton added that Oweh could come at a fair price for the Lions, which would help down the line as the team has some big extensions coming up.
“By the way, that extension, if the Lions chose to do it, wouldn’t come with a super-large price tag,” Payton wrote. “Cap analyst Josh Queipo projected that if he were to get one this offseason, it would have been a three-year extension worth $46.5 million. Hutchinson is expected to get $150 million or more. So you see the price difference.”
The Lions struggled to generate a consistent pass rush last season after Aidan Hutchinson suffered a season-ending fractured leg. Trade-deadline acquisition Za’Darius Smith did have 4.5 sacks after the injury, but the team struggled to find contributions beyond Smith. The Lions have tried finding a partner for Hutchinson through the draft and free agency, but found limited success.
Another Draft Trade for the Lions
The Lions could also make a trade during the NFL draft to add help for Hutchinson. The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy suggested the Lions could jump 10 spots up the board in the first round, moving to No. 18 in a deal with the Seattle Seahawks to take Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams.
Pouncy noted that Lions general manager Brad Holmes has been more than willing to trade up, making moves for Jameson Williams, Terrion Arnold, and Brian Branch in recent years. Williams could be the next draft target, he suggested.
“Historically, Williams is almost everything the Lions like from their edge rushers,” Pouncy wrote. “He’s got ideal size at 6-foot-5, 261 pounds, has 34 3/8 anoconda arms, can defend the run and maintains discipline, plays with power and a motor and is viewed as a high-character individual.”
