Former teammate of Aidan Hutchinson could be solution to Lions' lingering need

Despite not playing five full games last season, Aidan Hutchinson led the Detroit Lions in sacks with 7.5 and second place ZaDarius Smith (four sacks) was a trade deadline acquisition. Smith may or may not be re-signed between now and Week 1, and the internal level of faith in Marcus Davenport as a second capable edge rusher is hard to fully get behind.

Of course Lions general manager Brad Holmes has at times been defiant about a perceived lack of priority placed on adding another capable edge rusher. It is difficult to acquire another good one, but a secondary edge rusher has been a lingering need for awhile with a lot of half-measures to try to address it.

Maybe Smith is brought back. Maybe Davenport stays healthy, and produces like he hasn't in years whether he's been healthy or not. Maybe rookie Ahmed Hassanein becomes another draft find, and the long-term running mate for Hutchinson.

That's also an awful lot of questions and/or hypotheticals for a pretty important void in the Lions' defense. And they could all not happen, as another year of the team's Super Bowl window (another concept Holmes doesn't care for) potentially goes by unfulfilled.

Former teammate of Aidan Hutchinson could fix Lions' lingering need

It's fair to assume the Lions will be somewhere in the market for an edge rusher again next offseason. It's really only a matter of the extent of the need, and how it comes together in terms of additions.

With that in mind, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report has taken a very early look at the 2026 NFL offseason. For each team, he outlined a player who should be a priority to re-sign and a potential 2026 free agent target.

For the Lions, an edge rusher was naturally the potential free agent target come next March.

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"Aidan Hutchinson gives the Lions a star pass-rusher when healthy. But the pass rush looked much more human when he was forced to miss 12 games last season.... He still led the team with 7.5 sacks in the five games he played."

"If Detroit doesn't have a secondary edge-rusher emerge opposite Hutchinson this season, they could be looking to the free-agent market. There aren't a ton of productive options that don't just fit the one-year mercenary role."

"Kwity Paye is one of the exceptions. The Colt has 26.5 sacks through four seasons and is only 26 years old."

In a broad sense, since being taken 21st overall by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2021 draft, kwity Paye has underachieved with the aforementioned 26.5 sacks over four seasons. But he has at least eight sacks in each of the last two seasons, and he has had double-digit tackles for loss in two of the last three seasons.

Paye was a teammate of Hutchinson's at the University of Michigan for three years (2018-2020). In 2019, the only normal season where they played together a lot, Paye had 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss as a junior and Hutchinson had 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a sophomore.

At 6-foot-3, 265 pounds, Paye fits the physical profile the Lions prioritize in edge players. And most importantly, unless he has a massive season in 2025, he should be at a price point that's right in Detroit's wheelhouse for a potential edge rusher signing next March.

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