The Detroit Lions are heading into the 2026 NFL draft with a solid roster but obvious room for depth. One of the positions that has never really adequately been addressed for the team is edge.
Detroit relies heavily on elite edge Aidan Hutchinson to handle pass rusher duties, and for good reason, because Hutch is one of the top-rated players in his position in the league. In PFF’s post-season ranking of edge defenders, Ryan Smith has Hutchison as the No. 5 best in the NFL with a 91.9 rating.
But, he needs help. It’s been an age-old argument between Lions followers and general manager Brad Holmes whether or not Detroit should invest in the pass rusher position and get an equally dynamic edge to pair with Hutchison, and Holmes just doesn’t want to do it. Now, the Lions are getting a warning ahead of the 2026 NFL draft not to keep making the same mistake.
Detroit Lions Face Warning on Aidan Hutchison as 2026 NFL Draft Approaches
Heading into the 2026 NFL draft, the Lions are expected to draft a tackle early in the process, but NFL analysts and experts think the team would benefit from getting an edge to pair with Hutchinson. The team has nine picks, and this year’s edge class is rich and deep, so they could certainly wait until their second or third pick, but they shouldn’t wait too long.
Holmes, however, says that he always does a “best player” approach and will simply draft the best player still available when No. 17 is called. That will likely lock out an edge.
“I’ve always said the reason why we always go (for) the ‘best player available’ approach is because there is only one draft, and the roster’s going to change every single year,” Holmes told reporters in his pre-draft presser. “Every single year it’s going to be new needs, contracts are going to expire, things are going to happen.”
In a Sunday, April 19, piece for the Detroit Lions’ official website, Tim Twentyman lays out why the Lions should seriously consider getting an edge in the draft.
“Detroit returns All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson fresh off a career-high 14.5 sacks last season,” he notes in the piece. “On the other side, Detroit will look to replace the 11.0 sacks they got from Al-Quadin Muhammad last year after he signed with Tampa Bay in free agency.”
The Detroit Lions Should Jump at the Chance to Get an Edge to Pair With Aidan Hutchinson in the 2026 NFL Draft
Here’s the situation: While the Lions signed D.J. Wonnum to play opposite Hutchinson and have a stable of available players in the position, this is just too important a role to leave to question. Holmes is known for nickel-and-diming his way to a roster, and that can be a great thing when it comes to value, but there’s an old saying that you get what you pay for.
If Holmes isn’t going to make a flashy trade or free agency move to secure an edge opposite Hutchinson, then he better get one in the draft. Plus, this year’s draft class is too rich with pass rushers to not sign someone. This is the year for the Detroit Lions to get their No. 2 edge, and hopefully Holmes listens.
Lions Face Warning on Aidan Hutchison Before 2026 NFL Draft