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The Detroit Lions will have huge expectations for themselves during the 2025 NFL season. Detroit is a popular regression candidate, largely because they won 15 games last year and lost both coordinators this offseason. But that will not stop Dan Campbell's grit warriors from giving it everything they have this fall.
Final roster cuts are not too far away, as the regular season is just around the corner. Most NFL teams are thinking about how they'll get their roster down to their best 53 players. But I think the Lions should still be in attack mode.
The Lions could still use some depth on their defensive line, both at defensive tackle and edge rusher.
Detroit has been connected to Trey Hendrickson all offseason, but that trade is unlikely to happen. The Lions have to conserve their cap space to pay their existing players, including Aidan Hutchinson.
But are there any defensive players that the Lions can afford? And if so, could Detroit acquire them before the regular season?
Below we will explore one last-minute trade the Lions need to make before Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.
Can the Lions pry Odafe Oweh away from the Ravens before regular season?
Before we get into the analysis, here's the terms of my hypothetical trade.
Lions receive:
- EDGE Odafe Oweh
- 2026 seventh-round pick
Ravens receive:
- 2026 fourth-round pick
- 2026 sixth-round pick
In this scenario, I have the Lions going out and getting another edge rusher.
Detroit pries Odafe Oweh away from Baltimore in exchange for a draft pick and a pick swap.
And I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Mike Payton of A to Z Sports suggested that the Lions acquire Oweh back in May.
“This isn’t the first time I’ve brought this one up. Oweh was in trade rumors right before the 2025 NFL Draft. The former 31st overall pick has been pretty decent for the Ravens, but maybe not as good as they’d hoped he’d be. He has not been a full-time starter for them since they drafted him in 2021.”
Payton noted that the addition of edge rusher Mike Green in Baltimore makes Oweh expendable. Especially because Oweh is on an expiring contract.
Essentially, Payton argues that the Ravens have a chance to get some future draft capital out of Oweh. That could make a trade possible.
“Here’s the chance for the Ravens to get something for him. In Detroit, Oweh would be a starter for the Lions. If he performs well, Detroit could work out a deal for him. If he doesn’t, they don’t have to.”
I agree that Oweh would immediately become a starter in Detroit, though he would have to earn the job first.
Even if Oweh only played a situational role with the Lions, the extra juice he would add to their pass rush would be incredibly important.
For this trade to become a reality, the Ravens would have to be confident in their depth at edge rusher.
I also believe the Lions could target former Michigan edge rusher David Ojabo. But he would likely come much cheaper than Oweh.
How Odafe Oweh could impact the Lions in 2025
Would the addition of Oweh really be worth the price of acquiring him?
I believe the Lions should consider adding almost any starting-caliber edge rusher if they only need to pay a few late-round picks.
But beyond the price, it is worth noting that Detroit once again needs more depth at edge rusher.
The Lions have already lost some depth before the regular season.
Lions rookie edge rusher Ahmed Hassanein is the latest player to go down with an injury.
Hassanein suffered a pectoral injury during Detroit's preseason game against Miami on August 16th. He will be out indefinitely and could miss the entire 2025 season.
Beyond this, defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike already suffered a season-ending injury. Onwuzurike would routinely take snaps at edge rusher on passing downs as a rotational player.
Detroit has very little depth behind Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport, who himself is an injury risk.
Josh Paschal, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and Isaac Ukwu are Detroit's top reserve players. Paschal is expected to return to practice in September while he nurses an undisclosed injury.
Simply put, the Lions just need more bodies at edge rusher. Oweh would be an excellent addition, especially because he managed 10 sacks in 2024.
If the Lions do not pull off a trade for Oweh, or another edge rusher, I'd like to see them reunite with Za'Darius Smith.
Either way, Detroit needs to add more bodies before depth on defense becomes an issue again in 2025.
