The Detroit Lions have accomplished plenty in the last three seasons relative to their organizational history, but have yet to kick down the door as it relates to championships.
A key to winning a Super Bowl revolves around having a fierce defense, and more specifically, a pass rush that can pressure the opposing quarterback and generate sudden change opportunities. The Lions have not done that well enough in recent years, save, of course, for Aidan Hutchinson.
Hutchinson has been a revelation since he was drafted, and while he has been elite, those around him have too often been average at best. After another offseason without a top-level move aside from the addition of DJ Wonnum, the question remains whether or not the franchise will be in the market for another edge.
The draft offers the Lions one last chance to get a difference maker to help Hutchinson, both now and in the future, and NFL.com analyst Kevin Patra didn't hesitate to send the message to the franchise before the draft.
In a piece detailing the remaining offseason to-do list for every team, Patra encouraged the Lions to make an addition at defensive end, calling it the biggest remaining need for the Lions that they can fill with a drafted player.
"The Lions still do not boast a high-caliber edge mate for Aidan Hutchinson. The lack of a consistent No. 2 has led to some leaky defensive efforts. Will this be the draft where Detroit finally uses a high pick on pass-rush potency? Brad Holmes' recent comments about the starting viability of OT addition Larry Borom indicate a willingness to move Penei Sewell to the blind side. That decision could ultimately come down to what happens during the draft."
The Lions might be better served to check off the offensive tackle need first, given what could play out at the position in the draft around them, but the fact remains that they need to add both positions in either order in the first and second rounds. Both spots are significant needs at this point in time.
Brad Holmes still believes that Lions' defense is an elite unit
This offseason, the Lions have made tweaks to the defense, electing to sign depth players rather than make big splashes to improve the unit. That will put pressure on the franchise to have a fantastic draft and give Brad Holmes the chance to impress, as he has in previous selection meetings.
Even though it seems like the Lions are a few players away on defense, Holmes remains bullish on what the franchise can accomplish in the future. When asked recently if he believes the Lions are a championship-level defense, Holmes didn't shy away from showing his confidence.
"Those are our hopes. We're never going to be satisfied in terms of where we're at. That's what me and Dan (Campbell) are always constantly looking at. We're always looking at personnel and how to add more and tweaks and all this stuff. Certainly from a schematic standpoint, that's more of a Dan question, but I know we're looking at that all the time. So, whatever you're seeing how it looks right now at this day, that may not be the case (in the future) because we're always looking to add and evolve it and make it better all the time."
Seemingly, a good way to evolve it would be to give Hutchinson a running mate he can grow with in the next handful of years. The Lions already locked Hutchinson up to a new deal, and he's poised to remain the face of the defense into the future. The only question revolves around whether he will ever get enough help to become a true superstar in his own right.
It's time for the Lions to find out. As Patra says, they must check off their long-standing need at pass rusher in 2026. It's a move that is long overdue.
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