Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney remains an NFL free agent this spring. Clowney could be an option for the Dallas Cowboys if they wanted to solidify their edge rushing room with another veteran.
But there’s a better fit for the former No. 1 overall pick according to ESPN’s Matt Bowen.
The ESPN analyst named the best fits for 14 remaining NFL free agents on Monday. For Clowney, Bowen picked the Detroit Lions.
“Detroit drafted edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson on pass-rushing downs, but Clowney would provide more depth up front,” wrote Bowen. “He had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season in 13 games for the Cowboys, winning late in the down to get to the quarterback.
“Clowney would provide rotational value for coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.”
In 13 games for the Cowboys last season, Clowney had 8.5 sacks with 12 tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. He also had four pass defenses and one forced fumble while starting six contests.
The Lions could use Clowney opposite another edge rusher who was once a top 5 pick — Aidan Hutchinson.
Could Lions Pursue Edge Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
As Bowen indicated, the Lions added edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
But Detroit wants to compete for a Super Bowl again next season. It would make sense for the Lions to support Hutchinson with a more proven option in case Moore can’t significantly contribute as a rookie.
One could argue Clowney has never lived up to his No. 1 overall pick expectations. But he has continued to chip in valuable contributions even into his early thirties.
Since the start of the 2023 campaign, Clowney has posted 23.5 sacks over the past three seasons.
Two of the past three seasons, Clowney has reached at least 8.5 sacks. He was right at that mark last season in his only campaign with the Cowboys.
Clowney began his career with the Houston Texans. He made his best run of success in Houston with three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2016-18. Clowney also made second-team All-Pro during 2016.
Over the past seven seasons, Clowney has experience a lot of ups and downs with six different teams, including the Cowboys. He had nine sacks with the Cleveland Browns in 2021 after have zero with the Tennessee Titans during 2020.
Clowney tied a career high with 9.5 sacks with the Baltimore Ravens in 2023.
The defensive end also spent one year with the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers.
Cowboys Edge Rushing Depth Entering Offseason Workouts
Dallas did a lot of different things to address their edge rushing depth this spring. Most notably, the Cowboys acquired Rashan Gary in a trade from the Green Bay Packers and selected Malachi Lawrence in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Gary is an intriguing option to replace Clowney. That’s because the former Packers first-round pick has been widely inconsistent in his career too.
Last season, Gary had 7.5 sacks, all of which came in the first half of the season. In the final nine games, Gary posted zero sacks and no tackles for loss with seven quarterback hits.
The Cowboys also made a lot of other defensive additions in free agency and the draft to fix their defense. Dallas was in the bottom five of the league in most meaningful defensive categories last season.
No defense gave up more points than the Cowboys last year. They were also 30th in yards allowed.
Ex-Cowboys’ Jadeveon Clowney Billed Best Fit for NFC Contender