The Detroit Lions need to give Aidan Hutchinson some help. General Manager Brad Holmes seems to understand the defense needs to upgrade its edge rush presence opposite its wunderkind talent coming off a season-ending leg injury, yet the franchise largely sat out the top of the market at the position this offseason.
While the Lions brought back Marcus Davenport, Detroit didn’t invest a pick in the NFL Draft before tabbing Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round, which isn’t exactly a significant commitment to bolster a position that faded down the stretch last season amid seemingly endless injuries across the defense.
Detroit Lions’ Biggest Question Revealed
CBS Sports NFL analyst Cody Benjamin put together a list of each team’s biggest offseason question, including suggesting that the Lions haven’t done enough to help Hutchinson.
“The Lions struggled to find a reliable partner (and then replacement) for their star pass rusher throughout 2024,” Benjamin writes for CBS. “And it’s arguable they still need to address that spot. Still, the offense looks to be in solid shape even after Ben Johnson’s departure, with rookie Tate Ratledge joining Jared Goff’s all-star supporting cast in the trenches.”
How Detroit conducted the NFL Draft is quizzical given the organization admitting that there is a need to fill opposite Hutchinson, especially given how deep a class it was at the position.
Likewise, the likes of Josh Sweat, Joey Bosa, Haason Reddick, Leonard Floyd, and Dayo Odeyingbo signed elsewhere with minimal, if any interest from the Lions.
Detroit is betting big that Hutchinson immediately returns to form off his injury and that the defense at large returning to health will be all it takes for the Lions to regain their teeth on that side of the ball. Whether it turns out to be a winning gamble remains to be seen, but it is certainly a questionable offseason strategy given the outsized impact of the position.
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