One of the offseason priorities for the Detroit Lions this year was to improve their defensive line, especially the pass rush. While the Lions were decimated with injuries last season on multiple fronts, Aidan Hutchinson’s season-ending injury was perhaps the most impactful one of them all. There was hope among the fanbase that the Lions would invest resources to add more depth and talent to the pass rush rotation for next season.
Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby were considered the two top defenders who could be available via trade. In fact, Garrett had even requested a trade from the Browns. Detroit was expected to be one of the prime landing spots for both pass rushers. That didn’t come to fruition, however, as both stars decided to stay with their respective teams.
According to Mason Cameron of Pro Football Focus, Detroit’s dream of pairing Hutchinson with another elite pass rusher isn’t over. In his latest article, Cameron urges the Lions to go after the Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux, instead of targeting the position in the draft.
“With a fifth-year option decision looming – a subsequent extension – New York has a decision to make on what path forward to take with Thibodeaux. Should the Giants decide to maximize their trade value for Thibs, now would be the time. Detroit has the structure in place to tap into the pass rusher’s potential, as well as the cap space to facilitate an extension, should the team decide to.”
Mason Cameron, PFF
The Giants have until May 1 to decide on Thibodeaux’s fifth-year option. If they pick it up, it will rule out the trade possibility. Whether they will, however, is far from a certainty.
Even though he hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations he came into the league with as a fifth-overall pick, Thibs has shown enough flashes to warrant an early-round pick in a potential trade. The 24-year-old had 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, and 16 QB hits in 2023 before missing five games last season with a wrist injury. The argument that he could look much better in a different ecosystem outside of the Giants also makes a ton of sense.
Whether the Lions will have the appetite to give up a second or third-round pick for Thibodeaux remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a path worth considering.
