Lions met with former Vikings and Panthers starting edge rusher on Tuesday
The Lions are finally talking to edge rushers
Finally, the Detroit Lions are looking at edge rushers. This is going to make so many Lions fans happy. Now, they haven’t signed this player. But he did visit on Tuesday.
The Lions met with edge rusher D.J. Wonnum in Detroit on Tuesday
If you’ve been reading my work, then you know I had Wonnum on the list of free agents I felt the Lions should have signed after the 2023 season. He was coming off a big year for the Vikings, where he had 38 pressures and nine sacks opposite Danielle Hunter. He wound up going to the Panthers.
I haven’t stopped with the recommendations yet. On Monday, we listed the best remaining players for the Lions after the first wave of free agency, and Wonnum was on that list again.
He did not put up the numbers he put up with the Vikings in Carolina, but that could potentially be because they traded Brian Burns away the second he got there, and he got hurt in 2024. Last year, Wonnum started the entire season for the Panthers and put up 31 pressures and three sacks.
Where he really fits for the Lions is that Wonnum is a lot like Al-Quadin Muhammad in the sense that he’s a decent run stopper who has the ability to take advantage of one-on-one opportunities that better players opposite him provide.
Make no mistake, Wonnum would be a great signing for the Lions, but if you were hoping for the answer here, he’s not likely to be that. He can be a very good rotational player who has starting ability, and the Lions would still need to draft one high and maybe even grab another veteran from the market. This is a good start for the Lions if they indeed sign him.