Lions named top landing spot for this 4-time Pro Bowl pass rusher

For those fans who have caught up on the latest Netflix series, "Receiver," featuring Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown, the excitement level for the 2024 season truly couldn't be higher for this club.

Bringing back the memories of how this team ended last year, and just how close they were to the Super Bowl, was both exciting and nauseating all at once. It feels as though this Lions team very well could be on their way to yet another successful season, en route to (hopefully) a Super Bowl berth.

At the moment, they might just be one piece away from going the distance. Where could that one piece be found? Try thinking along the lines of a pass rusher to pair with Aidan Hutchinson. The Lions have done a great job, overall, of grooming inside and homegrown talent at all positions, being patient. But, this is a spot where they could still afford to add a high-profile player.

One expert over at Bleacher Report seems to think the Lions are a perfect destination for current New England Patriots pass rusher Matthew Judon, who is entering the last year of his contract.

Wrote B/R's Kristopher Knox:

"The Lions have the cap space to offer Judon more money up front, and they could also use pass-rushing help to maximize their Super Bowl window.

Detroit added Marcus Davenport in free agency, but Hutchinson is the only returning defender who topped five sacks in 2023."

Could the Lions realistically trade for Matthew Judon?

As Knox wrote, the Lions have enough cap space, currently, to afford a trade for Judon and even give him an extension. There was a rumor that Judon was unwilling to play on the final year of his deal earlier in the offseason, but Judon took to social media to refute it, stating "I didn't say that," and pleading for folks not to make him out as the villain.

The projected trade value, according to Bleacher Report's Knox, is a 2025 conditional third rounder. This is a little different from the one we wrote about just a few days ago, and it seems a bit steep for a 31-year-old coming off a season-ending injury, but if the conditions were reasonable, maybe the Lions would pull the trigger.

Adding a guy who posted 15.5 sacks in his last healthy season (2022) and made four-straight Pro Bowls could do wonders for this defense, with Judon opposite Hutchinson. Taking pressure off Hutchinson and spreading out the pass rush talent a bit is exactly what this defense needs.

Marcus Davenport hasn't yet panned out as a first-round talent, and would fit much better as the third pass rusher and rotational guy off the bench for Detroit.

Judon to Detroit? Let's keep hope alive.