5 edge rushers the Detroit Lions should pursue in free agency

3. Mike Danna

The Danna to the Lions drum started here before the Super Bowl. After being a part-time player over his first three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, he started all 16 regular season games he played last year (74 percent of the defensive snaps) for the Super Bowl champs. He finished with 6.5 sacks, 50 total tackles and seven tackles for loss in his first year as a starter.

Danna has lined himself up for a sizeable raise from the $2.7 million he made in the last year of his rookie contract. That makes it less likely the Chiefs will be able to bring him back, and they have the remaining edge rusher depth to not necessarily miss him. Spotrac has his market value at $16.7 million per year (three years, $50.3 million).

Pro Football Focus' evaluation of Danna points to some untapped pass rushing upside to go with a "high floor."

"Danna is the epitome of a solid, high-floor player who understands his role, controls his gap, and makes plays when they come to him. He's not the burstiest player off the line, but he does well to drive opposing tackles back into the pocket, and in 2023, in an increased role, we saw him improve in detaching his hands from blockers to get after the quarterback."

For whatever it might be worth, as he considers what should be multiple options in free agency, Danna is a Detroit native. He also played collegiately at Central Michigan, before transferring to Michigan to finish his career. But he also fits a big need for the Lions, with now two Super Bowl rings on his fingers.