It's the offseason, so of course, it's the best time to get into the nitty-gritty of what makes the Detroit Lions' roster actually formidable headed into the 2026 season. Their offense feels like a juggernaut once again thanks to limited turnover at skill positions, but their defense remains another question.
With the addition Derrick Moore in the 2026 NFL draft, D.J. Wonnum and Payton Turner in free agency, and Ahmed Hassanein lurking from 2025, the Lions' pass rush issues could be reaching their end. Of course, this room is highlighted (and heavily carried by) Aidan Hutchinson, who might finally have some help on the defensive line this year.
NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger recently put together a power ranking of the NFC based on their best defensive player, and Hutchinson manages to help the Lions land at 4th overall on the list.
"...the way he played after coming back from that scary injury is even more impressive. He had 14.5 sacks and 4 forced fumbles last year, 35 QB hits, and 49 total pressures. He reminded everyone that he's one of the most dominant pass rushers in the entire NFL, and if that was just his first year coming off of injury? Watch out. This guy played over 1,000 snaps coming off of his gruesome 2024 injury and daunting recovery. He's a machine."
Hutchinson remains core piece of Lions defense headed into 2026
To probably no one's surprise, the Los Angeles Rams landed No. 1 overall on this ranking thanks to their recent acquisition of Myles Garrett. Hutchinson is in the same building as Garrett in terms of his impact on the game, but it doesn't feel like anyone's in the same room, let alone the same floor. He's one of one, and the Rams were (unfortunately) very smart to snag him when possible.
Hutchinson could absolutely get there, though. As Bedinger notes, he's coming off a 14.5 sack season following a brutal leg injury suffered in 2024, showing that he's just gotten better and better despite that injury. Now, he has at least two starting caliber pass rushers that'll be cycling in to help him avoid chip blocks and double teams relentlessly thrown at him throughout games.
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Of course, Hutchinson's impact won't matter if the Lions' secondary can't finish the job started by him thanks to his pressures generated. Throwing quarterbacks off their game can help to generate turnovers in the air, but that's an area where Detroit has struggled mightily in recent seasons. Hopefully, with additions like Chuck Clark and Christian Izien in the safety room, as well as some "iron sharpening iron" competition in the cornerback room, the team can clean that up quickly.
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