The Detroit Lions have a few tools at their disposal to boost their pass rush this offseason, with many analysts predicting they will use their first-round draft pick to find a competent counterpart to Aidan Hutchinson.
One analyst suggests another route, urging the Lions to grab a free agent to add further depth at the key position.
The Lions struggled to establish a pass rush after Hutchinson’s season-ending injury last year, with midseason addition Za’Darius Smith also hitting free agency. The team could look to former Arizona Cardinals edge rusher Dennis Gardeck to fill the void, Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox suggested.
Dennis Gardeck Could Come Cheaper After Injury
Knox noted that the Lions need depth in their edge-rushing group, pointing out that their attempts to find a counterpart to Hutchinson through the draft and free agency have fallen flat.
“The Detroit Lions are expected to have standout pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson back and healthy in 2025,” Knox wrote. “However, the Lions still lack a high-end complement opposite the 2022 first-round pick.
“Detroit may target its No. 2 pass-rusher in the draft—the B/R Scouting Department recently mocked Georgia’s Mykel Williams to the Lions—but it could afford to add more veteran depth to go with Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport now.”
Knox noted that Gardeck is also coming off an injury-shortened season, appearing in only seven games last season after suffering a torn ACL. But the 30-year-old showed he can produce as a reserve, making six tackles and 20 quarterback pressures in 2023.
Gardeck was also a regular on special teams for the Cardinals, a role that could give him added versatility for the Lions.
Another Option for the Lions
The Lions could still have plans to bring back Smith, who notched 4.0 sacks in seven games after joining the Lions at the trade deadline last season. The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy noted that the longer the 32-year-old remains unsigned, the greater the chance he could return to Detroit.
“He doesn’t appear to be in a rush to sign,” Pouncy wrote. “Feels like he’s in the same boat as Von Miller. I think he’s enjoying his offseason.”
Pouncy added that the Lions have taken a patient approach to free agency with other key players, a pattern that could repeat with Smith.
“I’ll be honest, the longer Smith goes unsigned, the more I wonder if the Lions are letting him take his time and would like to remain involved,” Pouncy wrote. “That’s sort of how they were able to land C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Holmes told reporters he didn’t know if they’d be able to sign him, but was in contact with his agent throughout the process. When his market didn’t materialize the way he thought it would, Detroit was the landing spot. So, I do wonder if the Lions had a similar conversation with Smith.”
The Lions would also have other options in free agency, including former All-Pro Von Miller who was released by the Buffalo Bills at the start of the offseason. Miller had a slow start in returning from a torn ACL in 2023 but came back into form last season.
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