When considering the Detroit Lions' draft needs as NFL Combine gets going in Indianapolis, edge rusher is at the top of the list. While general manager Brad Holmes is not a prisoner to draft strictly for need, he also won't ignore clear-cut needs (see last year's early double-dip at cornerback).
Fortunately, it's considered to be a deep class of edge rushers in this year's draft. A good player could fall to the Lions at No. 28 overall, or if someone drops more than they should a trade up would certainly be possible. Waiting until the second round with pick No. 60 to take an edge rusher could also be an option.
If feels like it'll be unnecessary is reaching for an edge rusher. Then again, a lot of people thought Jahmyr Gibbs was a reach and we know that worked out. So only time can truly tell if someone was a reach in a draft, but all we have until then is immediate perception.
Lions unnecessarily reach to fill edge rusher need in Mel Kiper mock
ESPN's Mel Kiper is out with a new first round mock on Tuesday. It's interesting in more than one capacity, and at pick 28 he has the Lions taking UCLA edge rusher Olwafemi "Femi" Oladejo.
"Oladejo has steadily risen in this class, moving from Round 3 to the Round 2 conversation with a good Senior Bowl week. The jump to Round 1 is a bit of a projection, but Oladejo is getting buzz right now -- I think he could be in this range after the combine. He should test well considering his burst and intensity. And while he had just 4.5 sacks in 2024, his tape is really good."
"On one hand, Detroit ran into bad luck in 2024 with an inconceivable number of injuries to its defense, seemingly dooming the otherwise dominant team. On the other, the Lions never really had a clear No. 2 pass rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson (who missed some time himself with a leg injury). Za'Darius Smith had four sacks over eight games after a midseason trade to Detroit, but no other edge rusher had more than three sacks. The rest of this roster is too good to ignore this, and GM Brad Holmes should be looking for answers in both free agency and the draft."
Oladejo was an off-ball linebacker until 2024, so he's raw as a pass rusher and as Kiper noted he had a fairly pedestrian 4.5 sacks last season. But he also had 14 tackles for loss, and with a strong Senior Bowl week in his pocket he has a chance to further advance his draft stock with a strong combine.
Still, depending on where you look, Oladejo currently projects as a third or fourth round pick. He could push himself into the second round after this week in Indianapolis, and he does fit the physical profile the Lions prefer in edge players (6-foot-2, 261 pounds at the Senior Bowl).
Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire mentioned Oladejo's possible fit for Detroit on his list of potential Lions to watch at the combine.
"For a player coming from a major program, “Femi” Oladejo is a major project as a pass rusher. That’s because he was an oversized off-ball LB until 2024. Given this Lions regime’s nature for taking middle-round chances on positional converts (Barnes, Melifonwu, Vaki, Houston), Oladejo is definitely someone to watch in the on-field drills and athletic testing. The Lions spent time with him during Senior Bowl week, something that made him smile broadly when I asked about it in Mobile."
Ideally, the Lions would be able to add an edge rusher who looks to be more of an immediate difference-maker in the draft, not a "major project." And they won't (theoretically) have to take a project at that position in the first round, or reach for someone just to fill the need. Oladejo might be a Lion come late-April, but taking him in the first round feels unlikely barring an epic rise up the draft board.
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