The Detroit Lions could be one of the top teams in the NFC next season, as long as they can improve the defense enough to be top 20 or better. This free-agent class fits the Lions’ needs very well and the Lions could do some damage. If they could land any of these five free agents, they would be in a very good spot for next season. Just note this list is only players not currently with the Lions organization.
One- Jamel Dean, Cornerback, 26 Years Old
Detroit’s number one need this offseason is undoubtedly cornerback, especially a number one corner, and Jamel Dean fills just that. The Lions were getting burnt nonstop in man coverage this year and Dean is one of the best young man coverage corners in the NFL, and he is just hitting his prime. Dean would not only be a great number-one corner but would allow Jeff Okudah to cover a team second best receiver, instead of having to face the top receiver where he doesn’t thrive too much. Dean would cost Detroit around 15 million dollars a year, which would be a steal if he can be what they believe he can be
Two- Tremaine Edmunds, Linebacker, 25 Years Old
The Lions desperately need a linebacker that can start and be consistent next to Malcolm Rodriguez, Edmunds compliments his game amazingly. Edmunds only flaw heading into this past season was he wasn’t great in coverage, but this season he made great strides to improve on that and played like a top-five coverage linebacker. While Alex Anzalone played decently well this season, he was streaky and had games where he let too many big plays go past him. Edmunds would run Detroit about 11 million dollars a year, which may be a little tough but he is worth it to round out Detroit’s defense.
Three- Javon Hargrave, Defensive Tackle, 30 Years Old
The Lions’ second biggest issue last season was run defense on the interior defensive line, and Hargrave eats up so much of that interior space, it would help out Alim Mcneil extremely well. Along with helping defend the run, Hargrave is one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles and would allow Detroit to get more pressure since Aidan Hutchinson would get double-teamed a lot less. Signing Hargrave would also grant more clarity to what Detroit would need to do in the draft, which would be drafting corner and edge help. Hargrave would cost nearly 14.5 million dollars a year for the Lions, and while it would be a short-term signing unlike the others, it would help out tremendously.
Four- Byron Murphy, Cornerback, 25 Years Old
While Murphy isn’t near as good of a player as Jamel Dean is, he would still be a significant upgrade over what Detroit has now and could help them get to the next level. Murphy is primarily a slot corner, which the Lions need badly, but this season he stepped out of his comfort zone and was forced to play outside corner where he still played well. So if Detroit decides to go in on him, they can play him wherever they want and he will be an amazing player at that spot. So while he is not as good of a corner as Dean is, he would only cost the Lions about 11 million dollars a year and would be a great budget option for the team.
Five- Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, 25 Years Old
Maybe the best overall player on this list, Gardner-Johnson plays a position that isn’t needed too much by Detroit right now but would still greatly improve the Lions’ defense instantly. He lead the entire league in interceptions this year even with missing five games and didn’t allow much past him the whole season. While Gardner-Johnson primarily plays safety, he has the flexibility to play slot corner as well, which is a huge need for Detroit. While he is probably the best player on this list, he would also likely cost the Lions the most money, with a market value of 16.5 million dollars a year, but it may be worth it with what he brings to the table.
