The Detroit Lions shockingly did not make a huge splash in the offseason to upgrade their pass rush. Instead, the Lions took a conservative approach, re-signing defensive linemen Al-Quadin Muhammad, Pat O’Connor, and Mitchell Agude.
Lions fans would rather the team keep Za’Darius Smith, who gave Detroit’s defense a boost after acquiring him ahead of the trade deadline. Nonetheless, the Lions have some work to do in the pass-rushing department before Week 1 begins.
There aren’t many great options left in free agency, but Detroit has its eye on a former Chicago Bears defensive end who would give them more depth and potentially start opposite star Aidan Hutchinson.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Lions met with veteran DeMarcus Walker last week, as he’s searching for his next opportunity. On Tuesday, ESPN NFL analyst Peter Schrager reported that Walker is visiting with the New York Giants on Wednesday.
Walker also met with the #Lions last week, per source. Teams looking into veteran pass rush help pre-draft. https://t.co/BmmjecdbQ5
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 9, 2025
It's not shocking that Walker is receiving late free-agent interest from the Lions, as he had a solid 2024 campaign with the Bears.
As a full-time starter, the 30-year-old defender produced 47 combined tackles (career-high), 16 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He also had 23 quarterback pressures, which is an improvement from his season in 2023 with the Bears (22).
In his two seasons with the Bears, Walker had 45 QB pressures, 32 quarterback hits, 16 tackles for loss, and seven sacks across 34 games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Walker had a 61.3 pass rush grade (94th among 211 eligible edges) and a 62.3 run defense grade (90th). Neither number will overly excite Lions fans, given that he was a full-time starter.
However, with the Lions’ defensive end depth looking shaky, Walker might be what they need, and it would give the veteran a chance for revenge. The Bears cut Walker during the first week of free agency, entering the last year of his three-year deal.