The Detroit Lions are a team a lot of people are keeping their eyes on heading toward the 2023 season. They went 9-8 last season and despite not making the playoffs, the Lions have as much momentum as any franchise.
General manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell have done a great job of putting a plan together and executing it, getting a downtrodden franchise back on track. Last season was just the beginning as things are starting to move in the right direction.
This offseason, a lot of their focus has been on revamping the defense. Last season, Detroit struggled to stop a cold as teams moved the ball against them with ease. That will be a lot tougher this season, especially through the air, as the Lions revamped their secondary with the additions of Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
Could the pass rush be getting a big upgrade soon as well? Right now, the Lions are listed as the favorites to land defensive end Chase Young from the Washington Commanders should the team move the former No. 2 overall pick.
Washington declined the fifth-year option on Young’s rookie contract, which will make him a free agent in 2024. With Montez Sweat also hitting free agency after the season and megadeals already handed out to Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, many people have speculated that Young could be on the move via trade.
There are certainly some risks to acquiring Young, who has played in only 12 games the last two seasons because of a devastating knee injury. He has failed to make much of an impact in those contests, as the only real production that he has in his career was during the 2020 season when he took home the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
The potential is certainly there for Young to be a star player; he just has to stay healthy and get on the field to prove it. It would be a worthwhile risk for the Lions to take, as they could pair Young with Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 overall pick from the 2022 NFL Draft.
Those two could be franchise pillars and bookends for years to come in the Motor City. Edge rushers are the one thing this unit is lacking as the Lions’ defense could be taken to another level with the addition of someone of Young’s caliber.
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