While all of the focus for the Detroit Lions is currently on the San Francisco 49ers and their NFC Championship Game matchup, some people already have an eye toward the 2024 offseason. It will be a big one for the Lions, as they will be looking to build upon what has been an incredible 2023 season.
The Lions have found more success this season than they have had in three decades. It had been 30 years since they won a playoff game and even longer since they were taking part in Championship Weekend.
It is evident that this roster is a strong one, otherwise, they wouldn’t be in the position they currently are. Alas, even the strongest teams could use some tweaks and adjustments to the roster in the offseason.
For the Lions, one area they could look to bolster is their pass rush. Detroit finished the season with 41 sacks, which was tied with the Los Angeles Rams for 23rd in the league. Aidan Hutchinson, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, led the way with 11.5. Second on the team was defensive lineman Alim McNeill with only 5.0.
It was a true team effort getting after the quarterback as 18 different players registered at least 1.0 sacks for the Lions in 2023. But, finding a long-term bookend for Hutchinson should be near the top of their to-do list this offseason.
Could they find that answer in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft? Bucky Brooks of NFL.com certainly believes that to be a possibility. In a recent mock draft, he has the Lions selecting Chop Robinson out of Penn State with the No. 30 overall pick.
“The Lions need to find a complementary pass rusher to place opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Robinson is a freak athlete,” Brooks wrote.
Robinson is a highly touted prospect, earning a 6.7 grade, which translates to a Year 1 starter. That is exactly what a Lions team looking to cement their status as contenders in the NFC needs.
The player comp Robinson received is Dallas Cowboys star edge rusher, Micah Parsons. That is something that will get the fan base excited, because if Robinson gets close to producing at the level of his fellow Penn State alum, Detroit will have the best pass-rushing duo in the NFL.
While Robinson’s numbers with the Nittany Lions don’t jump off the page, he possesses the elite traits teams are looking for in an edge rusher. It could take a little time for him to become polished as a pass rusher, but the tools are there to succeed.
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