It took one name drop from an insider to show why Lions don't need Micah Parsons

The Detroit Lions' pass rush has been subject to speculation in recent weeks, especially as the team waits to see how Aidan Hutchinson responds to live NFL contact and speed in his return Week 1 as their starting edge rusher.

However, since he has been back at OTAs and training camp, no one with the Lions has hesitated to say one thing about Hutchinson: he's back and seemingly better than ever. That quells a lot of the nerves that Lions fans might have had about a reduced front attack defensively, especially with such a tough 2025 schedule laying ahead.

In terms of help for Hutchinson, some wild names have become seemingly available at every turn of the calendar month this offseason: Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Trey Hendrickson, and now Micah Parsons. Sure, it would be nice to snag a superstar to line up with Hutchinson to ensure he's not bearing the entire brunt of the work at the pass rush, but is that even the case?

Not necessarily, writes ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, who visited Lions training camp for a day and observed one Detroit defender who is expected to take on a decent lift of the pass rush for the Lions this season: Marcus Davenport.

Marcus Davenport is expected to step up this season for Lions

After an injury riddled 2024 season, Davenport is back in camp and ready to show why he's the perfect compliment to Hutchinson in the trenches of the Lions' defensive line, writes Fowler:

"Two defensive players who have a lot of buzz coming out of camp are cornerback Terrion Arnold and defensive end Marcus Davenport. Arnold's presence has been felt early. 'I am really excited for TA,' Reed told me. 'He's practicing very well.' As for Davenport, he has played just six games in two years due to injuries. But the Lions look at him as the perfect complement to Hutchinson with high upside. 'He's really the key component, to be honest," one person with the team told me. 'He's going to be big for us.'

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Davenport stepping up would be huge for Detroit as they are likely trying to avoid getting wrapped up in needing to extend another star for 2026. Hutchinson is already due up for an extension this year, and is playing his final year under contract next year. He's going to command a huge payday if he ends up playing as ferociously as he appears ready to in camp during the season and postseason.

Davenport's success, therefore, would be big for the Lions' ability to retain Hutchinson and keep their core together. The eighth year defender has not had a healthy season since 2022 while with the New Orleans Saints, where he played 15 games and posted 29 total tackles.

Team reporter Tim Twentyman has already expounded on the camp success of Davenport ahead of this season, writing that he has been a "beast" in drills this offseason at times. He's obviously going to need health on his side in order to really look like that complimentary piece he's meant to be to Hutchinson, but he has shown so far in camp that he can help Detroit avoid needing to make a humongous swing on a player of Parsons' caliber.

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