As the second week of 2026 NFL free agency gets going, the Detroit Lions have two, or three, edge rushers on their roster--Aidan Hutchinson, Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy if you want to call him one (the Lions list him as one on their depth chart, for what it's worth).
It's one thing not to make a notable move to add an edge rusher, and general manager Brad Holmes would just complain about the difficulty of doing that anyway. But then there's just seeming to ignore the position completely, when there's a clear need for bodies beyond simply improving the talent level of the group.
At this point for the Lions it'll pretty much be scraping the proverbial bottom of the barrel to add an edge rusher, and there are some interesting available options on that front. Even if someone of that (expected) ilk is added, a turn to the draft to finally find a viable running mate for Hutchinson feels like a virtual certainty.
Brad Holmes can make everything right if this Lions' draft match falls in his lap
The Lions could take the best available edge rusher in the first round at No. 17 overall, but they shouldn't and surely won't force it in the name of filling a need. Then it would become possible, if not a practical lock, they'd take the best available edge player in the second round.
After the first week of free agency, Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski matched eight underrated draft prospects with their deal team fit. However automatically, he matched an edge rusher with the Lions.
"Danielle Hunter is the template for a traits-based prospect-turned-premier NFL pass-rusher. Odafe Oweh became a first-round draft pick and just signed a $100 million free-agent contract after not registering a single sack during his final season on campus. Malachi Lawrence has outstanding physical tools, while being more productive in college, albeit not from a pipeline program."
"The UCF product managed 12 sacks during the last two seasons. Comparatively, Hunter and Oweh had 11.5 sacks over their entire collegiate careers. Lawrence did make first-team All-Big 12 this past year after recording a career-high seven sacks. While his production certainly wasn't staggering, Lawrence's presence was known."
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The comparison to Danielle Hunter or Odafe Oweh is apt for Lawrence. He posted the top Athleticism Score among edge rushers at the NFL Combine, and his 9.90 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) is 22nd-best among more than 2,000 draft-evaluated edge rushers since 1987.
That excellent showing at the Combine may push Lawrence to being taken before the Lions go on the clock in the second round, at 50th overall, and they currently don't have the ideal draft pick resources to trade up to get him.
But, barring a move to add someone recognizable in the meantime, Holmes can atone for failing to add an edge rusher by snapping Lawrence up at No. 50 if he's there to be taken.