Former pupil of Lions' assistant might be perfect Aidan Hutchinson fill-in

Sunday was a day of football extremes for the Detroit Lions. On the good side, they dominated the Dallas Cowboys 47-9. On the bad side, stud defensive end Aidan Hutchinson suffered a major leg injury and he's done for the season.

There's no way to truly replace Hutchinson, who leads the league with 7.5 sacks. Beyond his talent, he's also a leader and a tone-setter for the Lions' defense. But it seems sure there will be a move made to add someone to fill in for him, with a little over three weeks left before the trade deadline.

Over making splashy moves and someone's talent level, any player the Lions acquire must fit into their culture. Past familiarity can certainly be a part of the equation, maybe even a differentiator as general manager Brad Holmes makes calls.

Former pupil of Lions' assistant coach could be ideal fit to replace Aidan Hutchinson

When surveying teams who are potential, or likely, sellers as the trade deadline nears, the 1-4 Tennessee Titans are an easy one. That's also were Lions' defensive line coach Terrell Williams spent six seasons (2018-2023) as defensive line coach before coming to Dan Campbell' staff last offseason.

Titans edge rusher Harold Landry was a second-round pick by them in 2018, and he has spent his entire career there. Which of course means Williams was his position coach for six seasons, though he missed the entire 2022 campaign due to a torn ACL.

On each side of that missed season, Landy had double-digit sacks (12 sacks in 2021, 10.5 sacks in 2023). So far this season he has four sacks and six tackles for loss in five games (Tennessee had their bye in Week 5), and Pro Football Focus has him graded as a top-40 edge defender in the league right now with a top-10 run defense grade at the position (77.1).

Landry is 28 years old, and he's under contract through 2026. He would cost the prorated portion of his $17.25 million salary for the rest of this year if he were acquired. Then he has matching non-guaranteed salaries in 2025 and 2026.

Landry has a mix of potential multi-year staying power and a Lions' assistant coach that knows him well/knows his strengths. It could be an easy transition to the Lions' defensive scheme, and Williams can speak to Landry being a culture fit or not.

Landry isn't a marquee name on the level of some other potential options to replace Hutchinson.. But that might make him the perfect trade target for the Lions as those options are surveyed.