The 2025 season is inching closer and closer, and most teams are likely done with making big additions to their rosters.
The Detroit Lions are one of the lucky teams that didn’t have to make massive moves this offseason. The team won 15 games during the 2024 regular season, and didn’t have many impact players at risk of leaving this offseason.
Perhaps the biggest addition for the Lions will just be the return of star edge-rusher Aidan Hutchinson. The former top pick suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 6 and the Lions’ pass rush struggled mightily without Hutchinson.
Hutchinson is expected to be fully healthy to start the 2025 season, but it was a bit surprising that the team didn’t make a notable addition to the unit this offseason. There are still a few solid options on the free agent market, though, if the team does want more depth.
Isaac Zuniga of LWOS recently identified former Chicago Bear DeMarcus Walker as a realistic option for the Lions. Walker was cut by the Bears this offseason, but has been a solid rotational edge-rusher in his career.
Regarding Walker’s fit on the Lions, Zuniga offered the following:
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton listed Walker as the one move the Detroit Lions need to make before the start of the season, stating, “DeMarcus Walker moved between the defensive line and outside linebacker early in his career with the Denver Broncos. After settling in as an edge-rusher, he’s provided quality depth and started in 29 games over the last two seasons with the Chicago Bears. The Lions cut Za’Darius Smith. Marcus Davenport has missed 28 games over the previous two terms. Walker would be a more reliable starter and rotational pass-rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson, who’s working his way back from a fractured tibia and fibula.” It’ll be a low-risk move for a contending team looking to make the next push to reach the Super Bowl.
As mentioned above, Walker would be a solid depth option for the Lions, especially after the team parted with Za’Darius Smith.
In 2024, Walker started in all 17 games for the Bears and collected 47 tackles. seven tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. The veteran was credited with 39 pressures which ranked 44th out of 211 qualified edge-rushers.
Overall, Walker has spent eight seasons with four different teams and has totaled 191 tackles and 26.5 sacks. After a career-best 2022 season with the Tennessee Titans, Walker landed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Bears.
Walker was set to play out the final year of that deal in 2025 before being released. Now, the veteran is looking to continue his career on another team, and it’s hard to identify a better fit than the Lions.
In Detroit, Walker could line up opposite Hutchinson and split reps with Marcus Davenport. While not a star player by any means, Walker would at least improve the depth and bring some starting experience.
