The Detroit Lions already have budding superstar edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson. But for the Lions to take another step on defense, the unit could use another edge rusher to pair with Hutchinson.
Finding that player should be close, if not at the top, of Detroit’s offseason priority list. Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema predicted the Lions to find that player in the 2024 NFL draft.
In his newest NFL mock draft on January 5, Sikkema slotted Washington edge rusher Bralen Trice to the Lions at No. 27 overall in the first round.
“Some prospects perfectly fit a team’s personality, and that is the case here with Trice on a Dan Campbell squad,” Sikkema wrote. “At 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds, Trice possesses a motor that runs hot at all times. He is giving everything he has (usually with power) on every snap, and it earned him 76 quarterback pressures this season.
“Him on one side and Hutchinson on the other would be a long day at the office for opposing offensive tackles.”
Trice has one more game remaining in his college career with Washington set to face Michigan in the National Championship Game on January 8. But through 14 games this season, Trice has posted 46 total tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks.
He has 18 sacks and 28.5 tackles for loss in 33 career college games.
How Bralen Trice Could Fit With Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
The Lions have been one of the best defenses at pressuring quarterbacks this season. Entering Week 18, Detroit is ranked first in hurry percentage, third in pressure rate and third in quarterback knockdown percentage.
Furthermore, the Lions have 17 defenders with at least 1 sack. But the Lions have still left something to be desired from a sack perspective.
Detroit is ranked 26th in the NFL with 37 sacks. Incredibly, 10 of those 17 Lions defenders with at least a sack don’t have more than 1.5.
The Lions have just two players with at least 5 sacks this season — Hutchinson and defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
For that reason, there will likely be a lot of mock drafts projecting an edge rusher to Detroit. Adding an edge player as the other part of a bookend with Hutchinson will prevent opposing offenses from dedicating two blockers to Hutchinson all the time.
With McNeill also supplying pressure from the middle of Detroit’s defensive line, the Lions could be a scary unit with one more high-caliber edge player.
Hutchinson has excelled even as the main focal point for opposing offensive lines. The second-year defensive end has 9.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss and 28 quarterback hits this season.
Trice has been a dominant edge rusher at Washington. In his last 27 college games, he has recorded 16 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss.
Against Texas in the Sugar Bowl on January 1, Trice had 2 sacks and 3 tackles for loss.
How Does James Houston Fit in Detroit’s Future?
If the Lions draft an edge rusher early, especially one who played linebacker in college, questions will arise about the future of James Houston.
The Lions expected Houston to make up half of a dominant pair of edge rushers with Hutchinson this season. But Houston suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and hasn’t played since then.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell left open the possibility of Houston returning for the playoffs when he spoke to reporters on January 5. But Campbell described that “it’s a lot to ask” for a player to return in the postseason after four months off.
After spending the first half of the 2022 season on the team’s practice squad, Houston recorded 8 sacks in his first 7 NFL games. He also had 7 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
That dominant stretch showed the upside Houston can provide. Although he’s an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, the Lions aren’t likely to allow Houston to leave because of that upside.
But it also wouldn’t be shocking if they brought in a high draft pick to compete with him for playing time.
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Lions Projected to Land ‘Perfect Fit’ Opposite Aidan Hutchinson