Questions are arising at the defensive end position again for the Detroit Lions after rookie Ahmed Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury that will sideline him “for a while,” per Dan Campbell. While Hassanein wasn’t lined up for a massive role early in his first year, he was certainly projected to make the team, play on special teams, and ideally earn a rotational role at some point in 2025.
But with him expected to miss significant time—and Josh Paschal’s status on the Non-Football Injury list unknown
for the start of the season—the Lions have a bit of a hole when it comes to their defensive end depth. While Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport have the starting jobs locked down, and Al-Quadin Muhammad is likely the top reserve, there is not much proven talent beyond those three. Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu, and Mitchell Agude have all flashed in the past two preseasons, they have collectively played in six games and notched a total of 110 defensive snaps.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What should the Lions do at defensive end?
My answer: Let’s break this down into three option: Nothing, add Za’Darius Smith, make a bold trade.
Let’s start with my least-favorite option: make a bold trade. With the Bengals considering trading Trey Hendrickson again, conversation is heating back up about the Lions potentially making a splash move. Lions general manager Brad Holmes has made it pretty clear in the past he’s not interested in doing that, because they’ve already got a premier pass rusher they’ve got to pay soon, but I can certainly understand those that feel like now is the time to go all-in. Personally, I don’t like the all-in approach, because it shortens a team’s window and makes 2025 an all-or-nothing season. I think you get the best chance at a championship not by stacking a roster for a year or two while mortgaging your future, but keeping your roster competitive over a long period of time. Get the most bites at the apple.
Adding Smith certainly seems like a more reasonable approach than making a pricey trade (and presumably extend) for Hendrickson or Micah Parsons. Smith would likely sign a one-year deal, given how deep we are into the offseason and the fact that he’ll turn 33 next month. A good gauge of his price is the deal Matthew Judon just agreed to with the Dolphins, a contract worth “up to” $6 million. But can the two sides agree on a deal? It certainly seems like there’s an abundance of mutual interest, but with two weeks to go until the regular season, it seems like both sides have stalemated.
Then there’s the idea of just standing pat. Certainly it’s the most unsatisfying of the options, but it also feels like it’s possibly the most likely. For one, this team really, really likes Davenport. Obviously, his health is a concern, but when the Lions talk about it, they seem confident they’ve prepared his body for the season and chalk up his past injuries to bad luck. Additionally, Muhammad has had a strong camp and preseason. While the depth beyond that is thin, they’ll eventually get Paschal back, and players like Pat O’Connor and Derrick Barnes can provide some relief on the edge, as well.
Which option do you prefer? Vote in the poll below, and explain your answer in the comment section at the bottom of the page.
