Exit Interviews: Hutchinson had made jump from good to elite; Smith decision looms in search of a complement
https://substack.com/@detroitfootballnetwork
Justin Rogers
Jan 28, 2025
To wrap up the Detroit Lions’ 2024 season, we’re doing a position-by-position evaluation of the roster. Today, we’re focusing on the play of the team’s edge defenders.
The straightforward stats
Aidan Hutchinson: Five games, 19 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 45 QB pressures
Za’Darius Smith: Eight games, 12 tackles, 4.0 sacks, 36 QB pressures
Josh Paschal: 14 games, 21 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 31 QB pressures
Al-Quadin Muhammad: Nine games, 11 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 24 QB pressures
Marcus Davenport: Two games, two tackles, 0.5 sacks, seven QB pressures
Advanced metrics
Hutchinson reached another level to start his third season. Not only was he leading the league in pressures and sacks when he suffered a season-ending injury, but also win rate, defined as the percentage of pass-rush snaps he beat his block. He was at 38.3% when he went down. To add context, Myles Garrett, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, led qualifying rushers at 23.1% this season and 27.3% last season.
Smith offered a respectable 18.4% win rate between his time in Detroit and Cleveland, while the team’s remaining edge rushers struggled to regularly beat their blocks. Paschal’s 5.5% win rate was particularly disappointing.
Paschal partially made up for his deficiencies rushing the passer by pacing the Lions with 10 run stops — a tackle on a run play constituting a failure for the offense (fewer than 4 yards on first down, less than half the remaining yardage on second down, and short of a conversion on third or four down). Still, that tally didn’t crack the top 60 among edge defenders around the league.
Best performance
From individual and team perspectives, the edge performance in Week 2 against Tampa Bay was stellar, even though it came in a loss. Hutchinson racked up a career-high 4.5 sacks, splitting the fifth with Levi Onwuzurike, who was filling an outside role for the injured Davenport.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield was harassed into one of his worst performances of the season, finishing with 185 yards passing. Additionally, the opponent got next to nothing going on the ground, finishing with 70 yards, nearly half of which were provided by Mayfield.
Other games where the edges played well included the opener against Los Angeles, at Dallas and the Thanksgiving matchup vs. Chicago.
Worst performance
Without question, Buffalo. The group contributed just seven pressures — five from Paschal — hitting quarterback Josh Allen only twice while failing to record a sack. On top of that, the Bills ran wild, racking up 197 yards on the ground. Allen did a lot of that damage around undefended perimeters.
Where edge play got better in 2024
Everything starts with Hutchinson's elevation from very good to elite. After averaging 11.0 sacks in his first two seasons — many of which came through stunts and hustle — the No. 2 pick in the 2022 draft was a force of nature through the first five games this season. Opposing offensive tackles had no answer for his refined pass-rush move set, and he was well on his way to winning Defensive Player of the Year honors, which is more apparent surveying the end-of-season contenders for that honor.
On top of the unmatched production rushing the passer, Hutchinson was also playing some of the best run defense of his career. His ability to consistently make plays from the backside is impressive.
The pairing with Davenport — a free-agent addition — seemed as if it would be difficult for opponents to contend with in 2024. However, those best-laid plans were derailed when Davenport was also lost early in the year to a season-ending injury.
Overall, Detroit's edge rushers made strides with their rush lane discipline, which was key to limiting dual-threat QBs from doing too much damage with their legs, sans Allen, a legitimate MVP candidate.
Paschal improved, too, although probably not to the degree fans hoped to see three years into his career. Leaning into his physicality under the guidance of defensive line coach Terrell Williams showed up, particularly against the run. Plus, Paschal's ability to affect the pocket came through a powerful bull rush, but an inability to finish persisted.
Areas of needed improvement
With Hutchinson, I have no notes.
OK, maybe a couple.
First, now that this year's Super Bowl is off the table, don't rush the rehab for your broken leg. Make sure things are fully healed and you build up symmetry with leg strength to avoid a compensatory injury in the future.
Regarding something on the field, it's nitpicking, but Hutchinson should stay focused on his rush-lane integrity. His ability to close ground is top-tier, but faster QBs can still take advantage on the rare occasions he overruns the pocket.
It's up to the Lions to find pieces to complement their star. They need players capable of affecting the pocket and setting firm edges against the run. Much of the current room is headed for free agency, and the team has a financial decision to make on Smith. Paschal is the only other under-contract contributor. He is almost sure to be back.
Long-term vision at position
Hutchinson is the centerpiece, not just with his position group but the entire defense. He remains under contract through 2025, and the team has a fifth-year option for his rookie deal for the following season. There will be an effort to get a long-term extension done sooner rather than later. Still, as general manager Brad Holmes recently noted, it takes both sides coming together to make that happen. When it does, expect Hutchinson to become the NFL's highest-paid defender. That distinction currently belongs to 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa. He is operating on a five-year, $170 million pact.
The rest of the room is in the air, but the first conversation that needs to happen is what to do with Smith. The Lions inherited his contract when they traded for him at the deadline, but it carries no additional guarantees. Retaining him would come with a nearly $6 million cap hit — a modest sum for his position and production — but also a $5.2 million dead-money hit in 2026 tied to the contract's bonus structure and void years.
The Lions can easily absorb the 2025 hit. The 2026 number isn't a deal-breaker but is more problematic. That's when steeper cap figures kick in for Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Penei Sewell and Alim McNeill.
Smith was solid, not spectacular during his half-season in Detroit. Still, he delivered meaningful production. And, at his age, he's certainly better suited to be a sidekick. It would be worthwhile to continue the pairing with Hutchinson.
As for the free agents — Davenport, Muhammad and John Cominsky — there are cases to be made to bring them back on prove-it deals, understanding that it's challenging to rely on Davenport's availability after multiple seasons of injury woes. Muhammad and Cominsky could provide low-cost depth.
As for Paschal, you'd love to see him turn a corner in his fourth season, but he might be butting up against his production ceiling. As is, he's best as a rotational player and not a starter, logging 500-600 defensive snaps. There's simply not enough juice as a pass-rusher.
If the draft board falls the right way, it's easy to justify investing an early-round pick into the position. If the Lions continue to emphasize larger-framed pocket crushers in the mold of Davenport and Paschal, that type of prospect is easier to find in the back half of the first round. An initial look at players who that build and playing style include Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart and Ohio State's JT Tuimoloau.
