The Detroit Lions had a great draft, perfectly blending the desire to add as much talent as possible while also addressing positions of need. But there was one obvious hole in their draft approach that stood out to fans immediately.
Drafting Tyleik Williams certainly helped bolster the pass rush, but it didn't help with the fact that Detroit still needs another strong edge defender to play across from Aidan Hutchinson. The team only spent one pick on an EDGE, and that was a sixth-rounder (No. 196 overall) on Boise State's Ahmed Hassanein. This was a historic pick, but a sixth-round pick will always have enough bust potential that you can't be certain they'll fill your need.
Luckily for Detroit, the perfect free agent target is still available. They just need to act quickly, because now that the draft is gone, he's not likely to be available much longer.
Lions Must Target Matthew Judon in Free Agency
Matthew Judon is a free agent after playing out the final year of his contract with the Atlanta Falcons in 2024, and he's an obvious target that the Lions should be pursuing immediately after the draft.
The last two years have soured many fans (and hopefully, when it comes to getting a team-friendly contract, many teams) on Judon, but he's still someone who can contribute in a big way on the edge. He's only 32 years old and made the Pro Bowl for four straight seasons from 2019 through 2022.
A torn biceps cost him most of the 2023 season, and he struggled in 2024 after being traded to the Atlanta Falcons. But realistically, that's just one down year (he had 4.0 sacks through his first three games in 2023). And we've seen edge rushers age incredibly gracefully in recent years (especially when they move into a situational role rather than an every-down one), so he should still have at least a few years of high-level play left in him. Consider that he's less than a month older than Za'Darius Smith.
Injuries have limited Marcus Davenport to six games over the last two years, and Al-Quadin Muhammad has proven he can't be relied on as a top option at the position either. The Lions can't afford to ignore their second edge rusher spot for any longer, and Judon is the ideal veteran to add to the mix.
Now they just need to act on that idea before other teams come to the same conclusion.