It’s a nervy offseason to be a Lions fan.
After two or three years of stability and, you know, actually winning, things have gone a little differently over the past few months. The home divisional loss to Washington was a brutal start to the offseason, and losing both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson just a few weeks later certainly didn’t help.
“Super Bowl window” is kind of misleading – title contention in the NFL is more of a snapshot than a window – but it’s hard to avoid the creeping feeling that the Lions may have missed theirs. Now that the defense has to retool after losing Glenn and, like, half their 2024 starters, all eyes are on what Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell do with the first pick of next month’s draft.
Mel Kiper doesn’t seem like one for suspense, which probably explains why he got into the business of draft pick predicting. And I’m sure glad he did, because his latest mock draft dropped on Tuesday afternoon and in it, the Lions’ actually get a break from an offseason full of bleak news. Kiper projects a first round edge rusher for Detroit, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Somewhere, Aidan Hutchinson is sending it to all his friends with the side-eye emoji.
Lions’ build elite edge rushing team with first round pick in latest 2025 NFL mock Draft
Lions’ pick: James Pearce Jr., OLB, Tennessee
“Pearce could be the answer opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Besides figuring out how to stay healthy, the second edge rush spot was the Lions’ biggest question last season. They traded for Za’Darius Smith at midseason, and he ended up contributing with four sacks over eight games. But to get past their playoff hump, having a steadier presence rushing the passer on the other side of Hutchinson is key. Pearce had just 7.5 sacks in 2024, but his 19% pressure rate was second in the FBS. He keeps offensive tackles guessing with his burst and strength.”
I’m *all* for edge rushing depth, especially after last season saw the Lions’ backup’s backups get tested with injuries. If the Eagles’ win in the Super Bowl taught us anything, it’s that you only really have a shot – against the Chiefs, at least – if you can consistently get home without sending extra guys, so it’s probably not a bad idea to load up at that position. Step 1: fix the edge rushing depth. Step 2: get a few best players available. Step 3: pray you don’t have to play the Commanders again this year.
