Since they used the second overall pick in the 2022 draft on him, the Detroit Lions have struggled to find a consistent, capable edge rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. While general manager Brad Holmes has liked to say how hard it is to find a second good edge rusher, a lack of resources devoted to the idea was a factor in the failure.
The Lions' need for an edge rusher, of course, lingered into last month's draft. And Hallelujah!, they not only used a second-round pick on one, they traded up to get the one they wanted most--Derrick Moore out of the University of Michigan.
Time will tell if the Lions are right about Moore. But the time of throwing random stuff at the wall and hoping something (someone) sticks has come to a halt, with a top-50 draft pick who doesn't carry injury concerns into the NFL like Josh Paschal did in the same draft that yielded Hutchinson.
PFF shows how Derrick Moore can be a viable threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson
Daire Carragher of Pro Football Focus has named five rookie-veteran pairings to get excited about heading toward the 2026 season. Moore and Hutchinson made the list.
"The Lions had little else to speak of on the edge last season, and free-agent additions Payton Turner and DJ Wonnum both ranked outside the top-100 edge defenders of 2025. Moore, on the other hand, is coming off an elite season in the Big 10, highlighted by his 92.4 PFF pass rushing grade and 17.5% pressure rate."Â
"Where previous Lions edge rushers failed to take advantage of offenses investing significant resources into stopping Hutchinson via tackle-guard double teams, chip blocks, and blocking tight ends, Moore could be able to feast with a healthy dosage of one-on-one reps coming his way, along with significant action on rushing plays and quarterback rollouts as playcallers continue to avoid the superstar on the opposite end of the defensive line."Â
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Carragher finished his analysis with perhaps the biggest reason Moore can solve the Lions' past problem finding a suitable running mate for Hutchinson.
"Hutchinson can rush off either side with equal effectiveness — 17.9% pressure rate versus right tackles and 16.8% pressure rate versus left tackles last season. Unlike many college prospects, Moore is a seasoned disruptor on both sides of the defensive line with an almost perfect 50/50 split between sides last season (109 pass rushing snaps on the left side compared to 108 on the right)."
If Moore can be equally comfortable and effective working off either edge, defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will have expanded options for deploying Hutchinson. If Wonnum is on the field too, that could including kicking him inside to work against a guard in some passing situations.
Moore's transition to the NFL should be aided by not being pigeonholed to one side of the defensive front in college. And maybe?, hopefully?, finally?, the Lions have found a suitable second edge rusher to pair with Hutchinson.
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