The Detroit Lions are coming off of one of the best seasons in the history of their franchise, but it still seems pretty clear that their roster needs some work. Especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department thinks the Lions should add a piece to their interior defensive line this offseason, particularly one who can help bolster the team’s pass rush.
Detroit finished with just 41 sacks this past year, which ranked in the bottom third of the league. Outside of Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions’ pass rush was pretty thin.
The good news is that Detroit has ample cap room heading into free agency, so it can afford to spend big on a defensive tackle to help the front seven get to the quarterback easier.
B/R mentions both Justin Madubuike and DaQuan Jones as potential fits for the Lions, and while they would be luxury pieces, they would significantly improve Detroit in the trenches.
Sometimes, you have to spend big in order to truly get what you want. This may represent one of those instances for the Lions.
Madubuike has spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and is fresh off of a breakout 2023 campaign in which he racked up 56 tackles and 13 sacks.
The 26-year-old will be one of the top defensive players available next month and will command a hefty contract, but again, Detroit has the cap space to pull it off.
Jones is not quite as glamorous of a name as Madubuike, as he only played in seven games with the Buffalo Bills this past year due to injury and logged 16 tackles and 2.5 sacks.
However, Jones has long been a steady presence in the defensive front for whatever team he was playing for at the time. Due to his size and ability, he is able to take on multiple blockers, which frees up other defenders for sacks and quarterback pressures.
If the Lions are able to add either of those two players, it will make them that much more dangerous in 2024.