It’s been a busy offseason for Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, who has not only made several additions to the team via free agency but also through some shrewd selections in the 2026 NFL Draft late last month.
Additionally, he’s gotten all of his draft selections officially signed to deals, while also announcing a new contract extension for Jack Campbell. But could the Lions be considering an addition of a well-known former first overall NFL draft selection?
According to a recent piece from ESPN, don’t be surprised.
ESPN Has Suggested That The Detroit Lions Sign Edge Rusher Jadeveon Clowney
According to ESPN’s Matt Bowen, the Lions represent the best fit for Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who racked up a solid 41 tackles and 8.5 sacks last season.
For Bowen, Clowney would provide depth for the Lions’ defensive corps under coordinator Kelvin Sheppard.
“Detroit drafted edge rusher Derrick Moore in the second round to play opposite Aidan Hutchinson on pass-rushing downs, but Clowney would provide more depth up front,” Bowen wrote. “He had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season in 13 games for the Cowboys, winning late in the down to get to the quarterback. Clowney would provide rotational value for coordinator Kelvin Sheppard’s unit.”
Meanwhile, Clowney recently said that he’d be open to a reunion with the Baltimore Ravens, with whom he played in 2023 and registered a career-high 9.5 sacks.
“(The Ravens) take pride in their defense,” Clowney told NFL reporter Aaron Wilson in April. “I enjoyed the locker room. The guys that was in the locker room was an extremely fun group of guys. A lot of leaders was on that team, a lot of guys that respect the game of football. They got a lot of good guys that I can relate to in that locker room. I’ll definitely be open to going back to Baltimore, playing with Lamar Jackson now. It was a great time for me.”
Would Clowney and Detroit be a good fit for one another?
Jadeveon Clowney Was Selected First Overall In The 2014 NFL Draft
A native of Rock Hill, South Carolina, Clowney played for the South Pointe High School Stallions, where he was routinely regarded as a high-potential prospect, going so far as to be named the consensus No. 1 overall prospect of the 2011 class during his senior year.
Later committing to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks, he said it was because he wanted to play in the SEC Conference. During his time there, not only did he earn 2× First-team All American honors, but was named the 2013 SEC Defensive Player of the Year; he was also a 2× First-Team All SEC. Later, the school retired his No. 7 jersey number.
Selected first overall in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans, Clowney would play the first several years of his career with the franchise before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for Jacob Martin, Barkevious Mingo, and a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
He’s played for several teams since then, including the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Cowboys. So far in his career, he’s amassed 450 tackles 66.5 sacks with 16 forced fumbles and 11 fumbles recoveries.
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