Being they’ve never appeared in a Super Bowl let alone won one, the Detroit Lions are always looking for something to theoretically get them over the top.
All of a sudden, the team has hope, and has constructed a roster that many believe can contend to win lots of games in 2023, and perhaps even have a historic season by many measures.
Super Bowl contention could be within reach for the team, but they still need to make some additions to the roster to get there. Fortunately, in the eyes of Bleacher Report, there is an obvious addition that could help turn those fortunes quicker.
Writer Gary Davenport examined every addition that certain teams could make to get them over the Super Bowl hump. Perhaps surprisingly to some, the Lions were included. Davenport’s answer for Detroit came in the form of Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
As Davenport wrote, Carter has some questions given the offseason accident he was involved in that is threatening his draft stock, but relative to their need for a game-changing defensive tackle, the Lions could be lurking as an ideal destination.
“If the Lions believe that Carter is the player who spent much of last season dominating college football, then he’d be a great value sixth overall, especially since they need to get better in the trenches,” Davenport wrote of Carter’s fit in Detroit.
The fact that the Lions make the cut as potential contenders here is as notable as the inclusion of Carter as their best fit. The Lions have been one of the league’s worst franchises for a few decades, so the fact that they have potentially turned the corner to Super Bowl players is notable, indeed.
Carter could add to Detroit’s talent up front, and hit the ground running in terms of helping Detroit’s defense fortify itself in the middle of the line. If he is added to the mix, Davenport thinks the Lions could benefit and make a run toward the Super Bowl.
Jalen Carter’s College Stats & Highlights
Carter is a player who could play a huge role up front for the Lions, and a guy that would be an immediate difference maker for Detroit in the trenches if the team believes in him.
Far too often this season, the Lions have gotten pushed around at the point of attack with regards to the run game. Additionally, they’ve struggled to rush the passer. Carter could help in solving both of those problems himself.
At Georgia, Carter finished finish his career with 83 tackles, 18.5 tackles for-loss and six sacks to go with two forced fumbles and four passes defended. In terms of his talent, he’s an obvious space eater who could get along well with Alim McNeill.
Many think that Carter is one of the best players likely to be available in the 2023 NFL draft. If he’s available and the Lions decide to make the move, it could be an interesting fit that could make the Lions an elite roster at one of their biggest spots of need.
Elite Defensive Lineman Could Help Lions
Of all the spots where the Lions could need to prioritize some help in the draft, the defensive line could be the biggest. The team needs to add some more impact makers to that group on the field.
Already, the Lions have the makings of a stout young group. Aidan Hutchinson posted a phenomenal 10.5 sacks as a rookie, and was named the Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year. In addition to him, edge James Houston made a late-season surge, collecting eight sacks. Alim McNeill joined the team in 2021 out of North Carolina State, and has been a stout player in the middle of the line.
In spite of that, though, Detroit finished very poorly in run defense last season, having allowed 2,491 yards on the ground and over 146 per-game, which placed at 29th in the league. Carter could fix this in a major way.
There are plenty of top prospects the Lions could look at during the draft, including Carter and Calijah Kancey in the first-round, and also edge players like Tyree Wilson, Will Anderson Jr., Bryan Bresee, Myles Murphy and others.
If the Lions added a young player to the mix like Carter, it could be a game-changer for the franchise in very short order.
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Top SEC Defender Called Player Who Could Jump Lions’ Super Bowl Odds