The Detroit Lions are neck and neck with the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North right now. Coming into the season, their biggest priority was finding a consistent pass rusher to play alongside Aidan Hutchinson. Al-Quadin Muhammad has now emerged as that player, stepping up in Detroit to fill the role opposite Hutchinson.
“I think we all know that we have a guy opposite of Hutch now. I think we’re pretty safe to say that Muhammad is a guy opposite Hutch, not just another guy we’re throwing out there,” Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard said. “But he’s been tremendous. I mean, you’ve literally seen Muhammad line up at the nose, the three-technique, the edge, and hasn’t batted an eye.”
The Lions have also been linked to several other pass rushers, including Trey Hendrickson and Jaelan Phillips. However, Phillips carries some injury concerns that may be difficult to overlook.
“Injuries have reduced Phillips’ explosiveness and range. But he has the physical tools that teams look for on the edge. With his long 6-5 frame, Phillips can play as both an edge setter and a pocket disrupter. He has 25 sacks and 117 pressures over his five-year career,” ESPN’s Matt Bowen wrote.
The Lions could also decide to go in a different direction than pursuing a trade. In fact, they might look to sign a veteran who was recently released by their NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears.
“Walker is not going to play as large a role as he played for the Bears last season. However, he will not cost any draft capital to acquire, and the Lions could sign a short-term, team-friendly deal with him,” Detroit Jock City’s Cem Yolbulan wrote. “For a player who will be the fourth or fifth pass rusher in the rotation, the Lions could do much worse, making it easy to see why GM Holmes should prefer signing someone like Walker over a Phillips trade.”
The smartest move for Detroit may be to go after the cheaper option. Walker is hungry for another opportunity and could provide valuable depth and production.
Detroit’s defensive depth would skyrocket with his addition — and securing Walker on a team-friendly deal would be far more valuable than giving up assets in a trade.