The Detroit Lions are still focused on their postseason aspirations, but once that’s concluded, general manager Brad Holmes and his team will turn their attention to the 2025 offseason, which includes both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft.
One of the Lions’ primary areas of need heading into the offseason will be at the edge position. While Aidan Hutchinson has solidified one spot, the other side remains uncertain.
Although Za’Darius Smith is under contract for 2025, he’s already 32 years old and may not remain beyond that. The Lions would be wise to begin preparing by identifying a young edge rusher who can provide depth for next season and potentially be a long-term solution across from Hutchinson.
As the Lions aim to strengthen their edge rush, Nicholas Rome of the Death Valley Voice suggests that Detroit could be a landing spot for LSU edge rusher Bradyn Swinson. Here’s his take on how Swinson could fit with the team.
This season, while the Detroit Lions were strong in several areas, their defensive line was a weakness, finishing in the bottom half of the league in sacks. Part of this issue stemmed from injuries, with Aidan Hutchinson leading the team in sacks after playing only five games and Za’Darius Smith ranking second with four sacks after eight games. The team’s backups struggled to step up in their absence. Adding Swinson would not only provide injury insurance but also serve as a potential key addition to the Lions’ defensive line moving forward.
Hutchinson was an early frontrunner for the Defensive Player of the Year award before his injury. Despite missing the rest of the season after Week 6, he still led the team with 7.5 sacks. Smith, who spent half the season with Detroit, contributed four sacks, bringing his total to nine, five of which came while playing for the Cleveland Browns.
Given this, it’s clear that the Lions need to add more depth to their edge rusher group. They could achieve this by drafting Swinson, who capped off his 2024 season with a career-high 8.5 sacks, bringing his total to 13.5 sacks from his time at LSU and Oregon.
“Bradyn Swinson is primarily a stand-up edge rusher who has all of the physical tools to be a well-rounded and productive rusher using his natural speed and power to get sacks in the NFL,” writes The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez.
At 6-foot-5 and 269 pounds, Swinson is projected to be selected on Day 2, with experts indicating he could be chosen anywhere from the early second round to the late third. This fits within Detroit’s draft range, as they will have a late pick in both the first and second rounds.
Given what is known about the Lions’ general manager, it’s likely that Detroit will be aggressive in pursuing Swinson if they find him to be a good fit.
