The offseason turnover of the Detroit Lions' edge rusher group, besides Aidan Hutchinson, doesn't seem complete right now. Maybe it's not perceived as any sort of need, even after the draft, with Marcus Davenport, CFL star Mathieu Betts and the return to health of James Houston deemed to be enough reinforcement.
It's also fair to say sacks (43; tied for 23rdin the league last year) can be random, and the Lions led the league in pressure rate last season (28.2 percent). Better converting that pressure into sacks happened down the stretch last year, so that's a positive looking to next season.
Still, if you were to name post-draft needs/voids for the Lions, edge rusher would be on the list. A veteran addition would seem ideal. Davenport can't be counted on to stay healthy, and Houston still has a lot of hopeful projection in his outlook.
The Lions may just stand pat with what they have at edge rusher. But if they're looking, there are some good options out there.
Former first-round pick deemed free agent who could push Lions over the top
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report has named one free agent who could help each Super Bowl contender in 2024. The Lions certainly fit the Super Bowl contender criteria, so they were given a free agent fit by Knox.
"The Lions should take a long look at Bud Dupree, who revitalized his career a bit with the Falcons after a couple of disappointing campaigns with the Tennessee Titans."
"Dupree finished the 2023 season with 6.5 sacks and 24 quarterback pressures to go with two forced fumbles and eight tackles for loss. His best season came in 2019, when he logged 11.5 sacks while playing opposite star sack artist T.J. Watt. By partnering with Hutchinson, Dupree would again benefit from having an elite pass-rushing complement."
"Dupree finished the 2023 season with 6.5 sacks and 24 quarterback pressures to go with two forced fumbles and eight tackles for loss. His best season came in 2019, when he logged 11.5 sacks while playing opposite star sack artist T.J. Watt. By partnering with Hutchinson, Dupree would again benefit from having an elite pass-rushing complement."
"At 31 years old, Dupree might not be a long-term addition for the Lions, but he could help the team make a serious run at its first-ever Super Bowl appearance."
Christian Booher of SI.com had Dupree on his list of post-draft free agent edge rusher fits for the Lions. The angle of Dupree possibly thriving playing opposite Hutchinson makes sense, in light of his history in Pittsburgh opposite T.J. Watt. At minimum, even if there are some other options to like better, he would bolster the edge rusher rotation in a notable way.