The NFL draft is all about filling needs on a team. Some of those needs might be immediate, while others shoot for a longer view in the team-building process. Not every need gets filled, however.
For the Detroit Lions, the 2024 NFL Draft left a couple of positions that were generally seen as team needs untouched. Pro Football Network went through each team and identified the biggest remaining need. For Detroit, it was the EDGE group.
Here’s what Pro Football Network wrote about the Lions’ biggest weakness,
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“The Detroit Lions couldn’t have done a better job of filling their cornerback holes during the draft. But Dan Campbell and company came up empty at edge rusher.
Detroit ranked 23rd in the league with 41 sacks last season. The Lions need more explosiveness on the edge opposite Aidan Hutchinson, who’s a phenomenal player but likely will draw many double teams in 2024.
Who will step up if opposing teams neutralize Hutchinson?”
The Lions do have some credible in-house potential. Third-year players Josh Paschal and James Houston have shown promise, especially Houston with his eight sacks in six games near the end of his rookie season. Both have been dogged by injuries, which is also true of top free agent addition Marcus Davenport. CFL standout Mathieu Betts is also in the mix.
None of those options are sure things, however. The Lions are hoping one of those question marks at EDGE turns into an answer.