I maintain that the Detroit Lions’ defensive line wasn’t as bad as everyone thinks it was on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers. Things looked rough in the early going, but they settled in. That happened whether you want to believe it or not.

Having said that, the Lions can clearly use some help, and they might want to be on the lookout for that help right now. It doesn’t have to be anything crazy, but there are guys the Lions could make moves for soon. Here are four:

Eagles edge Azeez Ojulari

I don’t know why the Eagles signed him, and I don’t know why he signed with the Eagles. Ojulari is similar to James Houston. He’s not the best against the run, but he can get pressure, and he’s shown that he can get home.

In Detroit, he would be someone who can rotate with Marcus Davenport and can be loaded up in NASCAR packages. He was a healthy scratch for the Eagles on Thursday, and they just signed Za’Darius Smith. So the Lions could probably throw a late-round pick the Eagles’ way, and they’d likely do the deal.

Lions get: Azeez Ojulari
Eagles get: 2026 seventh-round pick

Dolphins edge Jaelan Phillips

Here’s the thing: you won’t like what I have to tell you about the former 18th-overall pick. This guy is a tremendous player when he stays healthy. The problem is that in the last two years, he hasn’t done that. He tore his Achilles tendon in 2023 and then had a season-ending injury in 2024.

The Dolphins still gave him his fifth-year option, and they likely had hopes that he could get through all of this, but they have moved on, bringing in Chop Robinson, Bradley Chubb, and Matt Judon. They’re also probably about to hit the reset button. So, this could be a cap-clearing move for them.

Lions get: Jaelan Phillips
Dolphins get: 2026 sixth-round pick

Titans edge Arden Key

This isn’t the first time we’ve brought this one up. The Titans are a young team, and it will take a minute for them to get to the point where they want to be. The 30-year-old Key is not likely to be a long-term part of the team’s growth.

He’ll be a free agent next year, and a reunion seems unlikely. The Lions could come in and make a good offer for Key and try to get him to Detroit, where he would play quite a bit in the rotation. Of all the players listed here, this is the one where Detroit would have to wait.

Lions get: Arden Key
Titans get: 2026 fifth-round pick

Free agent DeMarcus Walker

The Lions actually had the veteran edge rusher in for a free agent visit in March, but no deal got done. Walker was a starter for the Bears last season, so it’s a bit strange to see him not on a roster right now.

The Lions could probably bring him in for close to the vet minimum at this point, and he could make some major contributions as part of the rotation. Since the Lions already showed interest, keep an eye on this one.

Detroit Lions News

Lions Film Study: Aidan Hutchinson went through the seventh circle of Hell on Sunday

Well, here we are. The Detroit Lions got dominated on Sunday, and Lions fans are overreacting at an all-time high. This is a group that had people who wanted Kellen Moore to start over future Hall of Famer Matthew Stafford. Now, they want Aidan Hutchinson gone, or they want him to take a pay cut. […]

Mike Payton