The Detroit Lions second pass rusher opposite of Aiden Hutchinson has been a question throughout his entire career, and that might not change in 2026, according to a recent Sports Illustrated analysis by Matt Verderame. Verderame writes that while the Lions did upgrade their edge rusher depth, they do not have a number two yet.
Detroit Lions edge rusher depth remains unstable
The Lions have to replace Al-Quadin Muhammad, who had 11 sacks last year. That came out of nowhere, and Hutchinson gets a lot of credit for that, but someone still needs to step into that role that is missing.
The current favorite to start opposite Hutchinson is D.J. Wonnum. Wonnum is a former fourth-round pick, but is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He has two eight-sack seasons in his career, but on the other end, he has just 14 sacks in the other four combined seasons.
Wonnum had four sacks in eight games for the Carolina Panthers, but missed the other half of the season due to blood clots. In 2025, he recorded just three sacks, though. So, while he was performing well in 2024, he has just seven sacks over the past two years. That is why he did not have significant value in free agency and why he is not a lock to be an upgrade across from Hutchinson.
A former first-round pick is a long shot to start for the Lions
Detroit also signed Payton Turner this offseason. He is a former first round pick, and his size profile fits the type of powerful edge rushers that Detroit likes to play across from Hutchinson. Still, while the Lions see a 26-year-old scheme fit with first-round pedigree, most people see a player with five sacks in four seasons who was not considered to be brought back by the team that drafted him.
GettyDerrick Moore has a chance to start as a rookie
The Lions need a rookie to emerge
Detroit has Turner for insurance purposes, and they would love for Wonnum to be a strong third rusher. That would mean second-round rookie Derrick Moore taking the starting role.
This is the best scenario for the Lions because Moore is young, he is cost-controlled, and he has untapped upside. If Moore can start out of the gates, he could end up one of the better long-term bets on the roster.
However, there is a reason he fell into the second round despite playing one of the more valuable positions in all of football. He tends to lean heavily on his bull rush, and there are questions about how explosive he is. So, while he has to work out kinks in his game and acclimate to the NFL, he will be in a rotation at best, and the question will be whether he starts behind both Wonnum and Turner, or if he is the third man.
While Muhammad had a higher number of sacks last year than Wonnum has had in his career, Wonnum has been more stable over the course of his career. When you add in that Moore and Turner are higher upside swings than they had last year, the room should be better. Still, it is unresolved.
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