Pundits have continuously linked the Detroit Lions to potential cornerbacks set to be available in the trade market before the NFL trade deadline. It’s not hard to understand why. The Lions entered Week 5 ranked last in yards allowed, passing yards yielded and third-down defense.
But adding a cornerback isn’t the only way for Detroit to improve its defense. The Lions could also aim to acquire an edge rusher.
If the Lions go that route, one potential target they could pursue currently plays for their former defensive coordinator with the New York Jets — Will McDonald IV.
Heavy Sports proposes the Lions offer a third-round pick to the Jets for McDonald.
“Will McDonald may actually be the best trade Detroit can make to improve its defense given the circumstances, even despite the fact that he could cost a late Day 2 pick,” wrote Heavy Sports’s Max Dible. “That is because he is young, in his fourth year, and has juice as a former first-round pick who tallied 18.5 sacks in 2024-25 combined.”
Over 51 career games, McDonald has posted 22.5 sacks for the Jets. New York selected him at No. 15 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The 2024 campaign remains McDonald’s best season from a statistical standpoint. He registered 10.5 sacks with 11 tackles for loss and 24 quarterback hits that year. This season, he has one sack with one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit in four games.
Why Lions Targeting Will McDonald Makes Sense
In a perfect world, the Lions will acquire a cornerback at the trade deadline. They arguably could use multiple defensive backs to solidify their struggling secondary.
But adding a defender who could create additional pressure would help too.
“McDonald is a pass-rush specialist and isn’t necessarily an every-down player,” Dible wrote. But he can create quick pressures and make splash plays, which is the quickest fix for a Lions’ defense that has no secondary to speak of but could line McDonald up across from Aidan Hutchinson on pass downs, thereby creating havoc and speeding up the QB clock significantly, which would help the secondary in turn.
McDonald also wouldn’t be a rental player, which would help justify the team giving up a third-rounder pick for him. The edge rusher is on the fourth year of his rookie contract. The 2027 campaign will be the fifth-year option of his first NFL contract.
NFL Trade Proposal Sees Lions Land 22.5-Sack Edge Rusher