The Detroit Lions don’t have a particularly deep group of edge-rushers when fully healthy, and the defensive end room is far from that as cutdown day nears and the start of the regular season looms.
Second-round pick and first alternate Derrick Moore, who has turned some heads during training camp and could potentially start sooner than later, is battling a groin injury that has him sidelined currently.
“Dan Campbell didn’t seem worried about Ahmed Hassanein’s injury, but he won’t practice,” Jeremy Reisman of Pride of Detroit reported via X on Thursday, August 27. Derrick Moore will be out a little bit, but said he could return next week.
Lions’ Schedule, While Easy, Not Conducive to Early-Season Injuries to Important Players Like Derrick Moore
Detroit is able to lean back on the strength of superstar edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson, which is perhaps why adding another pass-rush specialist wasn’t an overly high priority for the Lions this offseason, despite the fact that they could probably use one.
DJ Wonnum, a free agent acquisition this offseason on a one-year deal and former member of the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers, is likely to start opposite Hutchinson, particularly if Moore’s groin issue lingers into the next couple of weeks.
Detroit opens the season at home against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 13 before a quick turnaround for a Thursday Night Football game in Week 2 on the road against the Buffalo Bills four days later.
Thus, while the Lions have the easiest schedule in the NFL in 2026 based on 2025 win percentage, the way the league set it up is potentially problematic for the team if they are dealing with mild-to-moderate injuries to any important players entering Weeks 1 and 2 given the brutally short turnaround between outings.
Lions Still Have Options to Add to Pass-Rush Group if Derrick Moore’s Injuries Linger, Worsen
Detroit should have some low-cost options in free agency if the team decides its pass rush needs a boost, particularly given the absence of so much talent in the secondary due to more serious injury problems than the one Moore is currently battling. The best solution to a bad and/or depleted defensive backfield is to pressure opposing quarterbacks quickly and frequently.
Perhaps the best remaining pass-rush specialist is Leonard Floyd, most recently of the Atlanta Falcons.
Floyd played 287 pass-rush snaps in 2025 and produced 36 pressures along with 23 QB hurries across 15 appearances. He managed just 3.5 sacks last season, but averaged nearly 10 sacks per year between 2020-24, when he tallied 48 total.
He has a market value projection of $8.9 million in 2026, but with a limited market so late in the offseason, Detroit may be able to negotiate a more team-friendly deal.
The field of free agents gets relatively thin after that, with Kyle Van Noy and perhaps Haason Reddick as the only viable options remaining behind Floyd.
Detroit Lions Pass Rush Suffers More Troubling Injury News as Season Nears