Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Will Anderson Jr. Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

Lions eyeing trade-up for elite defender?

Originally posted on Sportsnaut | By Vincent Frank | Last updated 4/11/23

The Detroit Lions find themselves in a great position heading into the 2023 NFL Draft. Having already done a ton of work during NFL free agency, Detroit boasts the sixth and 18th overall picks in the annual event.

Coming off a 2022 campaign in which Detroit nearly snuck into the playoffs, it is potentially looking to make a splash during the draft.

According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, Detroit has a visit scheduled with former Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson. This is somewhat surprising given the fact that Anderson could go as high as No. 2 overall to the Houston Texans. There’s very little reason to believe that the elite edge rusher will be available when Detroit is set to pick as six.

Detroit has the draft capital to make a move up for Anderson if general manager Brad Holmes sees a fit. The idea would be to team him up with 2022 first-round pick Aidan Hutchinson to form a elite edge pass rush duo in Detroit.

Detroit could potentially offer up the sixth and 18th picks to the Arizona Cardinals for the third selection. Arizona is said to be interested in moving that pick. While most of the talk has surrounded quarterback-needy teams trading up with the Cards, the Lions would make sense.

Detroit won eight of its final nine games a season ago, barely missing out on the playoffs. It finished with a winning record (9-8) for the first time since the 2017 season.

Despite this, the Lions’ defense was not up to snuff. It ranked 28th in the NFL in points allowed at 25.1 points per game while recording just 39 sacks.

This area has been a focus for Detroit during NFL free agency with the Lions adding cornerbacks Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley as well as defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

With one of the most potent offenses in the NFL, Detroit’s ability to upgrade the other side of the ball could make the team a legit force in the NFC.

This is especially true in an NFC North that will likely see the Green Bay Packers without four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Minnesota Vikings return a questionable roster in 2023.

This article first appeared on Sportsnaut and was syndicated with permission.

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