Trade rumors have connected the Detroit Lions to several different defensive linemen through the NFL offseason. Things haven’t been too different at the beginning of training camp.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine argued on July 29 that the Lions should be interested in acquiring Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart. Ballentine proposed the Lions acquiring Stewart with a 2025 sixth-round choice in exchange for a 2024 third-rounder.
“The Lions had one of the best offenses in the league last season, but they didn’t have the talent on defense to put it all together,” Ballentine wrote. “They took some steps toward fixing that by overhauling the secondary and drafting Jack Campbell in the first round.
“The defensive line is still suspect, though. There’s depth on the edges led by Aidan Hutchinson, but the interior could be an issue. Alim McNeill is a promising young talent, but there’s not a lot to get excited about outside of him.
“A veteran like Stewart would change that. He has the versatility to play multiple alignments after playing alongside DeForest Buckner with the Colts. Last season he had 70 tackles, including nine for loss.”
Despite the disappointing season from the Colts last year, Stewart experienced a tremendous campaign. He recorded 70 combined tackles, including 9 tackles for loss, 7 quarterback hits, 4 sacks and 3 pass defenses. All of those statistics were new career highs.
Proposed Trade Ships Lions DT Grover Stewart
As Ballentine mentioned, the Lions have added a lot of pieces to their defense this offseason.
In free agency, the team signed cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Through the draft, the Lions added inside linebacker Jack Campbell and defensive back Brian Branch.
Along the defensive line, the Lions drafted Brodric Martin in the third round this year.
Performances from all these rookies have encouraged Lions head coach Dan Campbell at the team’s training camp. But defensive line appears to still be a position that Detroit could address if the team wanted to.
“He’s young and he’s raw,” Campbell said on July 28 when giving his assessment on Martin through four days at training camp. “We knew that when he got him, he’s young and he’s raw. But then again, we see improvement … You can see a guy who’s working through it.
“I’ve seen some growth from spring through the first four practices. But he’s raw. He’s got a long way to go.”
Ballentine noted that the Lions have third-year defender Alim McNeill expected to start on the interior of their defensive line. Detroit also re-sign Isaiah Buggs and signed versatile veteran Christian Covington this offseason.
But if general manager Brad Holmes seeks to make a splash through a trade before the start of the season, Stewart would give the Lions incredible insurance in the middle of their defensive line.
How Stewart Could Fit With the Lions
With Stewart, the Lions would gain another defensive tackle with starting experience. Stewart has started every game since the start of the 2020 season and hasn’t missed a contest since 2018.
With 64 starts with the Colts, he has accumulated 8.5 sacks, 25 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits.
He’s not a sack artist by any means. Stewart has 5.5 sacks in the past 50 games. He also turns 30 in October, and he isn’t signed past this upcoming season.
But Stewart appears to be getting better with age. Coming off the best season of his career, there’s no doubt he will make a difference for the Lions defensive line this fall.
The remaining questions are whether the Colts would be willing to offer him in a trade before the start of the season and if the Lions could match Indianapolis’ potential asking price.
In addition to Stewart, Ballentine also proposed the Lions as a potential destination for defensive tackle Tim Settle.
Proposed Trade Sends Lions Longtime Starting Defensive Tackle