The Detroit Lions haven't prioritized the defensive line as much as many may have hoped thus far in free agency, and that lends itself to the position remaining a huge roster hole heading into phase two of the offseason.
As it stands now, the Lions lack a consistent veteran edge presence minus Marcus Davenport, who represents a risky proposition given his injury history. With Aidan Hutchinson coming off injury and Za'Darius Smith surprisingly cut, there isn't much depth at defensive end, which stands out as a problem.
Pro Football Focus and writer Max Chadwick revealed the biggest lingering need after the start of free agency for every team, and naturally, defensive end stood out in their mind for Detroit given what has happened thus far this offseason.
"While the Lions have a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Aidan Hutchinson, the other edge spot is an unknown following Za'Darius Smith‘s release. Marcus Davenport is the projected starter there, but he has played only six games across the past two seasons due to various injuries."
"A draft prospect such as Donovan Ezeiruaku or Nic Scourton would make a lot of sense for Detroit with the No. 28 overall pick."
At this point in time, the veteran pass rush market is picked over. That means the Lions are more likely to get an impact player along the edge in the draft. Fortunately, one of the names Chadwick mentioned looks like a good fit for Detroit.
Donovan Ezeiruaku stands out as intriguing fit for Detroit Lions in draft
Given the Lions haven't made finding a defensive end a big priority in free agency or via trade, it's easy to surmise that the draft will be where the team looks to fill the major void that is currently lingering on their roster at the position.
As the offseason moves forward, mock drafts have begun to hone in on the edge position as one that the Lions will target in the first-round. There are several talented players that could be on the radar of Detroit, but Ezeiruaku stands out as a very intriguing fit.
During the combine, Ezeiruaku showed off traits that have to appeal to the Lions. He had a top three-cone drill and short shuttle time, which The Athletic's Dane Brugler explained only boosted his case as an early pick.
Edge Donovan Ezeiruaku had the top 3-cone (6.94) and short shuttle (4.19) among the DL group.
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 28, 2025
Production. Tape. Testing. Checking the boxes of a 1st round pick.
As Brugler also points out, Ezeiruaku was productive in college and has solid tape given he was the 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year with 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for-loss. Ezeiruaku also has long arms (34") and has decent size at 6-2 which should translate well to the league.
While he might not be well-known to some midwest football fans now, Ezeiruaku could become an easy solution for the Lions and another potential quality draft pick for Brad Holmes to fill a need.