Detroit Lions Projected to Land Future Defensive End

The Detroit Lions' biggest area of need in the eyes of many analysts is at the edge rusher position.

While the team has Aidan Hutchinson returning from a season-ending leg injury, the team would greatly benefit from adding another player to work in tandem with him. Detroit waited until the sixth-round to draft a player at the position this year, Boise State's Ahmed Hassanein.

Additionally, the team re-signed veteran Marcus Davenport who has struggled with injuries throughout his career. As a result, pundits are not as high on the Lions' current state at the position.

Though the 2026 NFL draft is still plenty of time away, there are already projections of the team going out to get another player to help Hutchinson and the Lions' pass rush.

In his latest mock draft for the 2026 season, analyst Matt Miller projects the Lions to draft Florida's Tyreak Sapp in the first-round of next year's draft.

"Surprisingly, the Lions chose not to draft an edge rusher to help Aidan Hutchinson-- especially considering the star pass rusher is returning from a season-ending leg injury," Miller wrote. "Sapp is coming off a career-best seven sacks last season and has the ideal strength at 6-foot-3, 272 pounds to stack up against the run while also showing the quickness to win with his first step. Adding Sapp to Hutchinson, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and 2025 first-round defensive tackle Tyleik Williams would give Detroit one heck of a defensive front."