Lions predicted to sign $6 million budding star EDGE to address future need

The Detroit Lions have dealt with multiple injuries to their edge rushers in 2024, with the team losing both Marcus Davenport and Aidan Hutchinson to significant injuries earlier in the season.

In response to that, general manager Brad Holmes pulled off a trade for veteran edge rusher Za'Darius Smith ahead of the deadline to offer a reinforcement to Detroit's ailing position group.

It was a fantastic move for the Lions, as not only will Smith help shore up the edge right now, he's also under contract in 2025, so he offers more than just a short-term rental.

But with Smith turning 33 next September, there's a good chance he won't be with the Lions beyond next season. Knowing that, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox thinks the Lions will add New York Giants edge rusher Azeez Ojulari in 2025 in order to give the defense a long-term solution opposite Hutchinson.

At just 24 years old, Ojulari is just now stepping into his playing prime. Though injury and a reduced role pulled him from the spotlight after his eight-sack 2021 rookie, he's shown that he can be a high-end No. 2 edge while filling in for Kayvon Thibodeaux this season.

Ojualri and Hutchinson could be a dangerous combination for the next half-decade or more.
In the final year of a four-year, $6.7 million rookie contract, Ojulari will hit the open market next offseason and could land himself a sizable payday if he continues on his current trajectory.

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After two injury-plagued seasons, Ojulari hasn't missed a game this season and has six sacks through 11 games, which is just two shy of his career-high. Making him more attractive in free agency is the fact that he'll only be 25 next year.

The Lions could start planning ahead for life without Smith by signing Ojulari to a multi-year deal. Detroit has ample cap space to do so, with the Lions projected to have $62 million to work with in 2025, per Over the Cap.

Ojulari would give Detroit an embarrassment of riches along the edge next year when combined with Smith and Hutchinson, and he'd form a strong duo with Hutchinson for the long haul.