Why the Lions passed on the top free agent edges and why money had nothing to do with it
The Detroit Lions have a method to their madness and they don’t plan to spend a lot of money on that method
At this point, it’s pretty clear what the Detroit Lions are attempting to do with their defense.
It’s all about trying to get the team back to where it was in 2024 with a mix of 2025. They want to get back to where they were when they were one of the top teams against the run, like they were in 2024 when they were second against the run and seventh in points against. They’d probably like to mix in some of the pass rush they had in 2025 when they were fourth in sacks and sixth in pressures.
We talked about it on Monday, and really, the overarching theme is getting this team back to where they were against the run. When you look at what the top edge rushers in this year’s free agency brought to the table in that department, you can understand what they were thinking.
This year’s crop of free agent edges really didn’t fit what the Lions were looking for
| Player | Run Defense grade | Total contract amount |
| Jaelan Phillips | 60.3 | $120 million |
| Trey Hendrickson | 56.8 | $112 million |
| Odafe Oweh | 64.1 | $96 million |
| Boye Mafe | 67.8 | $60 million |
| Kwity Paye | 65.8 | $48 million |
| Bradley Chubb | 57.2 | $43.5 million |
| Dre’Mont Jones | 57.8 | $36.5 million |
| Joseph Ossai | 70.7 | $34.5 million |
| K’Lavon Chassion | 43.8 | $11 million |
| Al-Quadin Muhammad | 59.8 | $6 million |
None of these guys is really very good at stopping the run. It would make sense for the Lions if they were primarily looking for a guy who is only good at rushing the passer, but the fact that they let Al-Quadin Muhammad walk after only allowing him to play on 82 run defense snaps in 2025 because they didn’t trust him there really shows you that’s not what they want.
If the Lions are going to pay the amount of money that some of these guys cost, you have to believe they’re going to want to get out of that player what they feel they need the most.
That’s why the draft is the place to find that next edge rusher, because some guys are proficient in both areas. Guys like Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Miami’s Akheem Misidor, Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, Missouri’s Zion Young, and Michigan’s Derrick Moore. These guys would be perfect fits for the Lions. They can get after the quarterback, and they can set the edge in the run game.
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