The Detroit Lions have yet to address the defensive end position as the second wave of NFL free agency begins. Veteran defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had a career-high 11 sacks, did not return to the Motor City, as he signed a one-year deal reportedly worth up to $6 million with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week.
It was quite shocking to see the Lions not give Muhammad a similar deal at the price tag, given their lack of depth behind Aidan Hutchinson. In fact, Muhammad said to reporters in Tampa Bay that “he doesn’t know why Detroit let him leave in free agency,” per Greg Auman of FOX Sports.
The fact that Detroit didn’t bring back the veteran pass rusher just puts more onus on general manager Brad Holmes to find a suitable replacement or two for Muhammad. Luckily, there are still several vets on the free agent market, including Jadeveon Clowney, who would be an ideal pass rush target for the Lions.
Jadeveon Clowney Could Be Lions’ 1st Step to Fixing Their Pass Rush
There was hope early last season that the Lions would sign Clowney to bolster their pass rush, but they watched the Dallas Cowboys swoop in and pick up the veteran pass rusher.
The Cowboys inked Clowney to a one-year, $3.45 million deal, who made an immediate impact on Dallas’ pass rush, which didn’t have a Hutchinson. The veteran defender racked up 22 QB pressures, 12 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hits, and 8.5 sacks across 13 games (six starts).
Clowney’s 8.5 sacks would be third behind Hutchinson and Muhammad if you placed him on the Lions’ roster. He would also be an instant upgrade over Marcus Davenport and Tyrus Wheat, who combined for 2.5 sacks, which will not get it done.
According to Al Karsten of Pride of Detroit, Clowney posted a 16.7% pass-rush win rate, which ranks 12th among 112 qualified edge defenders. Karsten also pointed out that the veteran pass rusher set career-highs in pressure rate (19.1%) and pass rush grade (80.6 per Pro Football Focus).
Clowney also performed well as a run stopper, posting a 70.6 run defense grade and 27 stops. In fact, his grades were better than Muhammad's, who had a 71.9 pass rush grade and a 59.3 run defense grade.
Spotrac projects Clowney’s calculated market value as a one-year deal worth $5.7 million. If that’s the going rate for the veteran pass rusher, the Lions shouldn’t think twice about making a move. He still has enough gas in the tank to be a productive pass rusher, and it could still allow Detroit to make one or two more signings at defensive end.
The Lions need good quality depth off the edge. They can’t afford to bring in the Davenports of the world to try to play significant snaps and not be productive. If the Lions can add Clowney, it will take a little bit of pressure off Hutchinson, and hopefully, the veteran defender could have a similar year to what we saw from Muhammad in 2025.