“The Lions tried to squeeze some edge-rushing juice out of Za’Darius Smith late in 2024. Branded a “finisher” at Boston College, the technically exquisite Ezeiruaku could be a higher-upside successor opposite Aidan Hutchinson.”

As Edwards pens, “Detroit has been associated with edge rushers often in the first round but offensive tackle is hardly ever mentioned. Taylor Decker will turn 32 in August and the Lions would save nearly $12 million toward the salary cap next offseason. The opportunity for Josh Conerly to sit and learn behind Decker for a year is appealing.”