Lions to add DE on one-year deal

The ex-Saint will rejoin Aaron Glenn in Detroit, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. Glenn was on the Saints’ staff when the team drafted Davenport, though he coached New Orleans’ defensive backs. Nevertheless, Davenport will join fellow ex-Saint defender Alex Anzalone under Glenn in 2024.

The Vikings gave Davenport a one-year, $13M deal, setting him up on a high-end “prove it” deal to work alongside Danielle Hunter. 

This preceded a Za’Darius Smith trade, but the Vikings did not benefit from the move. Davenport posted two sacks and suffered an ankle injury that became a season-ending malady. Davenport, 27, underwent surgery to repair his high ankle sprain and ended up playing only four games in 2023.

Davenport displayed quality rush capabilities in New Orleans, but he could not deliver such form consistently. He needed to settle for a “prove it” deal due to totaling just a half-sack in 15 Saints games in 2022. 

The ex-Cameron Jordan sidekick did total 15 sacks and 32 QB hits between the 2019 and 2021 seasons, keeping teams interested in his potential.

Despite Aidan Hutchinson leading the NFL in pressures and mounting a sack charge late in the season, the Lions did not have much around him. 

Their Romeo Okwara-based efforts did not pan out in recent years. Hutchinson finished with 11.5 sacks last season; no other Lions edge defender notched more than two. 

It should not be expected Davenport will be all the Lions do to staff this job, but the six-year veteran is the first piece of the puzzle.