The Detroit Lions could use more depth along the edge and the New England Patriots have a cut candidate who could help Detroit's cause.
The Lions had a shaky situation at EDGE going into the offseason, but the release of Za'Darius Smith made it worse. Now, both Josh Paschal and Ahmed Hassanein aren't going to be ready for the start of the season, which only makes the depth behind both Aidan Hutchinson and the injury-prone Marcus Davenport worse.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell is suggesting trades ahead of cutdown day on Tuesday and he could see the Lions and Patriots striking a deal that involves edge rusher Anfernee Jennings, who Barnwell views as a cut candidate.
Here's the proposal and write-up from Barnwell:
- Patriots get: 2026 sixth-round pick
- Lions get: EDGE Anfernee Jennings, 2026 seventh-round pick
There was a time when New England once looted the Lions for a talented, two-way linebacker who didn't fit their system and landed an underrated player in Kyle Van Noy. The Lions are here to get their revenge. A former third-round pick by previous Patriots coach Bill Belichick, Jennings is a stout run defender on the edge who had nine quarterback knockdowns last season across 831 defensive snaps. He isn't a great pass rusher, but he can still be a valuable part of a roster as an early-down edge defender.
Jennings is owed $2.5 million in 2025, about half of which is guaranteed. He doesn't appear to be in new coach Mike Vrabel's plans, but I like him as a fit in Detroit, where the Lions could stand to add a little more edge depth. Josh Paschal is expected to miss the first month of the season, and they can't be sure of what they'll get from Marcus Davenport, who has been limited to just six games over the past two seasons because of injuries. Jennings would be a reasonable backup end for the Lions with the potential to play more if needed. The cost -- a swap of late-round picks -- wouldn't be prohibitive.
A former third-round pick, Jennings has not lived up to his draft billing with the Pats, but he does offer a strong depth option for the EDGE-needy Lions.
Jennings tallied 2.5 sacks in 16 games last season, a total that would have ranked sixth among Lions defenders and fourth among edge rushers.
Jennings really excels as a run defender, as evidenced by his four campaigns with a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 71.4 or higher. In 2024,he finished with a PFF run defense grade of 73.0.
It would make sense for the Lions to take a swing on Jennings. Not only does he add more depth, he won't be expensive for Detroit to acquire. We agree with Barnwell that a late-round pick swap is a viable proposal.
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