Lions 2025 training camp preview: EDGE roles, depth battles

The next installment in our training camp preview series looks at the Detroit Lions’ edge rusher group.

In this installment of our Detroit Lions 2025 training camp preview series, we stay on the Lions’ defensive line by exploring the edge rusher group, speculating on current and future roles, and discussing how many players from this group could make the 53-man roster.

Previous training camp previews:

• QB: Can Hendon Hooker stick at QB2?
• RB: Will there be any changes to the room?
• WR: Loaded with depth options and youth
• TE: Who will win the TE3 job?
• OT: All eyes on Giovanni Manu
• IOL: What to expect from IOL overhaul
• DT: How Alim McNeill’s injury impacts the room

Setting the table

The Lions’ edge rushers opened the 2024 season with tons of promise, as superstar Aidan Hutchinson was the frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Detroit had several depth options playing opposite him. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for injuries to complicate matters, and Detroit lost its top three pass rushers (Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, and SAM linebacker Derrick Barnes) within the first five games of the season. From there, the hunt was on to find a workable solution for the remaining 13 games.

Josh Paschal was promoted to the starting lineup, but there was a rotating door opposite him. James Houston and Isaac Ukwu failed to grasp their starting opportunities, and the Lions signed Al-Quadin Muhammad and Isaiah Thomas for depth. Over the next several weeks, Muhammad found a spot in the rotation, while Houston and Thomas were released, and Ukwu remained on the practice squad. The Lions finally found their groove when they traded for Za’Darius Smith and increased Levi Onwuzurike’s usage on the edge—giving them a two-deep rotation of Smith, Paschal, Onwuzurike, and Muhammad. Mitchell Agude was promoted from the practice squad late in the season, but he was only used for depth and special teams.

The Lions entered the 2025 offseason with only four edge rushers under contract: Hutchinson (who had his fifth-year option for 2026 picked up ), Smith, Paschal, and Nate Lynn (who spent the season on injured reserve). However, Smith was released in a salary cap saving move (saving $10.97M over two years ). From there, the Lions went to work re-signing players, including Davenport , Muhammad , Agude , and Isaac Ukwu (futures) , then drafted Ahmed Hassanein in the sixth round , and signed UDFA rookie Keith Cooper Jr. after a tryout at rookie minicamp . Lastly, John Cominsky, who spent the season on IR, retired due to medical reasons .

Roster construction

Under the Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell regime, the Lions have kept at least five pure edge rushers, while also relying on hybrid players from other positions (i.e., defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike and SAM linebacker Derrick Barnes) to also contribute.

Let’s take a look at what they’ve done at edge rusher in the previous four seasons:

• 2021: Opened the season with five and ended with six.
• 2022: Repeated the process of starting with five and ending with six.
• 2023: Opened and closed the season with seven edge rushers, as they looked for options at the newly introduced SAM linebacker position.
• 2024: Opened and closed with five on the roster, despite working through a plethora of injuries.

Understanding the Lions’ EDGE roles

The Lions’ scheme leans on three different types of edge rushers, and it’s important to understand how each operates in order to recognize how players fit into the roster. Here’s a refresher on the different roles the Lions deploy.

Role 1: Rush end. Examples include: Hutchinson, Davenport, and Hassanein.

In “Base” sets (about half the defensive snaps), the Lions deploy two rush ends because of the players’ abilities to exist in a variety of defensive concepts. They can line up standing outside the tackle box, with their hand in the dirt on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle, and occasionally kick inside to the 3-technique in obvious pass rushing situations.

Role 2: Big end. Examples include: Paschal, Onwuzurike, and Mekhi Wingo.

Role 3: SAM linebacker. Examples include Barnes and Trevor Nowaske (This role will be discussed more in our linebacker preview article)

When the Lions opt to bring a third (SAM) linebacker on the field, they shift one of their rush ends into a “big end” role and line the SAM linebacker up off their outside shoulder. The big end typically operates at the 4i, but they can slide inside to the 3T or back outside to a more traditional defensive end role. The SAM linebacker lines up on the line of scrimmage, but they have options for their assignment, as they may rush the passer, drop into a zone or man coverage.

The battleground

Despite the 47 or so questions asked at every Brad Holmes press conference about the Lions’ edge rusher situation, Detroit has a lot of confidence in their group of pass rushers. There are some actual, relevant questions that will need to be answered at training camp, and it begins with one of the best players on the roster.

Has Aidan Hutchinson recovered from his injury and will he return to form?

Hutchinson has indeed been “fully cleared” from his injury and was on the field participating during OTAs. He’s on track to begin training camp on time and be a full participant.

“Will he return to form?” is the million-dollar question. And while we will get some idea of his recovery progress during training camp, it’s going to take some time before we can accurately project if he can reach the production level he was at pre-injury last season.

Who plays opposite Hutchinson in the Lions’ different fronts?

The Lions prefer their front to be flexible, and the more skills a players possess, the more opportunities they receive. In “Base” sets, Davenport will likely be the rush end opposite Hutchinson. And while Davenport is capable of staying on the field when a SAM is introduced, the Lions have shown a preference to turn to Paschal or Onwuzurike in those situations. With Onwuzurike likely needed inside at defensive tackle, to help soften the blow of Alim McNeill’s absence , that should create more opportunities for Paschal, who is in the final season of his rookie contract.

What’s the rest of the depth chart look like?

With Hutchinson, Davenport, and Paschal likely occupying a starting role in the Lions’ different defensive fronts, they probably have at least two additional roster spots up for grabs amongst their depth players.

• Al-Quadin Muhammad, rush end: Entering his eighth NFL season, Muhammad has loads of experience (93 games, with 36 starts) and was an important contributor for the Lions last season—playing in nine games and starting two. Muhammad has likely reached his developmental potential, but he’s proven valuable as a depth player capable of providing reliable edge production.
• Ahmad Hassanein, rush end: A raw but energetic rookie spark plug who will be hard to bet against, Hassanein is nowhere near his developmental ceiling, but he’s got a pretty significant learning curve ahead of him. If Hassanein can prove to coaches that he can be consistently relied upon, he’ll surely find his way onto the field, and from there, the sky’s the limit.
• Mitchell Agude, rush end/SAM: Entering his third season in Detroit, Agude has spent the majority of his time on the practice squad, but was called up for the final five weeks of the 2024 regular season. He mainly contributed on special teams, but he did see the field on defense for 40 snaps over that time period. While best suited as a rush end, the Lions have explored his range at SAM linebacker in the past, which could be a key skill set for his changes to make this year’s roster.
• Isaac Ukwu, rush end: Despite playing a JACK linebacker role in college, Ukwu wasn’t able to adapt to the Lions’ SAM job, but he did settle in nicely in a rush end role. It’s worth noting that when injuries did hit at EDGE last season, Ukwu was one of the first options the Lions turned to for support. However, it’s also somewhat telling that they never actually signed him to the active roster, only promoting him from the practice squad until his eligibility ran out.
• Nate Lynn, rush end: After a very solid training camp, Lynn suffered a shoulder injury in the preseason that would keep him out for the entire regular season. As a high-effort rush end, Lynn flashed the potential to get to the quarterback a year ago, and that combination of skills will go a long way for Detroit coaches.
• Keith Cooper, big end: Following the NFL Draft , it was originally reported that the Lions were signing Cooper to a UDFA contract with $145,000 in guarantees, which would have been amongst the highest in the Lions UDFA class. However, he was actually never offered a contract and was instead given the opportunity to try out during rookie minicamp. Fortunately, Cooper impressed coaches and was eventually signed to a rookie deal. At 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Cooper looks the part of a “big end” and played a similar role at the University of Houston last season. But curiously, on the Lions website, they have him listed as a DL, not EDGE, which could be an indicator that they may be moving him inside for a hybrid role. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case in training camp, because he could be a fun option behind Onwuzurike and Wingo.