The Detroit Lions have one of the most efficient offenses in NFL history through five weeks.

Their defense, however, is comfortably among the worst in the league. That combination makes Detroit a prime candidate to buy before the NFL trade deadline, and one name stands out as a logical short-term fix: Los Angeles Chargers EDGE Khalil Mack.

The Chargers are 0-5, and their season is slipping away fast. Mack is 35, has played 12 seasons in the NFL, and is on an expiring contract. He has been a great player for a long time. Whether he is still great is a fair question, but he doesn’t need to be great to help this Lions defense.

I recently talked through a series of trade proposals with my A to Z Sports colleagues Easton Freeze and Austin Stanley, and this one makes a lot of sense for both sides. We utilized the A to Z Sports trade simulator to lead the conversation.

Why Detroit makes sense for Khalil Mack

The problems on the Lions’ defense go beyond the stat sheet. Detroit’s defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has created viral moments for the wrong reasons by blaming his players at the podium. That is rarely a sign that things are about to turn around on their own.

The most glaring issue outside of the aging and injured secondary is the pass rush.

Lions EDGE Aidan Hutchinson is very good, but Detroit has a major problem on the opposite side and cannot create consistent pressure. The front office drafted Derrick Moore in the second round to eventually become that player. He isn’t there yet, which is understandable for a rookie, and while DJ Wonnum has been productive early on, that doesn’t feel sustainable.

That is where Mack comes in. At this point in his career, he is a playable football player who can take some attention away from Hutchinson.

He isn’t a long-term answer, and nobody is pretending otherwise. Mack would be a Band-Aid, a short-term mercenary brought in to help a contender get over the hump.

One of my colleagues put it best during the conversation. Adding Mack would make an old defense older, but at least it becomes better. For a team with an offense this good, better is the only thing that matters.

What the trade would look like

The proposed framework is simple. Detroit sends a fifth-round pick to Los Angeles in exchange for Mack. In the trade simulator, that deal came out lopsided, so the Chargers send one of their current seventh-round picks back to the Lions to level things out.

That is a reasonable price for Detroit. A fifth-round pick is a small investment for a proven pass rusher who can contribute right away. Additionally, the seventh-rounder coming back softens the blow even more.

For the Chargers, the logic is just as clear. Los Angeles is 0-5, and Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh’s future appears to be in question. Everything is in flux. Mack clearly isn’t part of the Chargers’ future, no matter what that future ends up looking like. Getting something for him now, rather than watching him walk in free agency, is the smart business move.

On top of that, sending a respected veteran to a contender that desperately needs defensive help is a good look for the organization.

Is a Khalil Mack trade likely to happen?

We closed out the discussion by debating which of our proposed trades is most likely to actually happen.

I went with Josh Sweat as the most likely move of the bunch. Another colleague made a strong case for Mack, though not necessarily to Detroit. A 35-year-old on a team going nowhere who still has some value is exactly the type of player who gets moved at the deadline.

If you ask me, the fit with the Lions is too clean to ignore. Detroit’s defensive issues also go well beyond one position. The Lions need help in the secondary, on the edge, and much more. That probably deserves its own trade-block conversation down the road.

For now, one thing is very clear. If Detroit wants to maximize a historic offensive start, adding a veteran pass rusher like Mack would be a cheap place to begin. We will see whether the Lions’ front office agrees before the deadline arrives.