Over the past couple of weeks, leading into the start of training camp, we’ve been taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions’ roster.

We’ve analyzed the projected starting situation, highlighted a key camp battle, explored a burning question, and set a statistical over/under for the upcoming season.

As we near the end of the series and the start of camp, today we’ll be looking at the edge defenders.

Who is on the roster?

Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal, Muhammad Al-Quadin, Ahmed Hassanein, Mitchell Agude, Nate Lynn, Isaac Ukwu, Keith Cooper

Starting lineup outlook

Prior to his season being prematurely ended by a broken leg, Hutchinson was making the jump from very good to elite. The third-year defender was pacing the league in sacks and quarterback pressures, putting him on an early track to win the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.

A broken tibia and fibula are no joke. Still, after getting eyes on Hutchinson for the first time since suffering the injury during OTAs, it appears he’s fully recovered and possesses the same explosiveness that makes him such a handful for opposing offensive tackles.

Even with the injury, Hutchinson is the sure thing on the roster. Everyone is more concerned with who will be playing opposite the superstar on Detroit’s defensive front. All signs point to that role being Davenport’s to lose.

Signed last offseason, the former first-round pick looked to be an outstanding stylistic and schematic fit to pair with Hutchinson. But the durability issues that have plagued Davenport for the past few seasons struck again when he tore his tricep in Week 3, ending his year.

Regardless, he showed enough in that brief window that the Lions are running it back, albeit at a significantly reduced price tag. If he can stay healthy, it should prove to be one of the roster’s better bargains. Davenport is explosive and powerful, capable of consistently collapsing the pocket. That will lead to sacks not only for himself but also funnel quarterbacks into the hard-charging Hutchinson.

Camp competition to watch

This one is a little tricky because there doesn’t appear to be a lot of wiggle room at the top of the depth chart. You have Hutchinson and Davenport as the projected starters, with two known veteran commodities in Paschal and Muhammad rounding out the rotation.

The team has the potential to further solidify the group by bringing back Za’Darius Smith, who has publicly emphasized his desire to play for the Lions in 2025.

That brings us to Hassanein, Detroit’s sixth-round pick. He carved a unique path to the NFL, picking up the game after moving back to the United States from Egypt as a high schooler.

Hassanein was a force for Boise State as a high-motor, highly passionate defender. He’s strong as an ox, but he has limited bend and an underdeveloped move set. Relying on the bull rush worked in college, but it’s unlikely to be consistently effective at this level, particularly with his below-average length.

This figures to be a developmental year for Hassanein, but injuries have a way of forcing inexperienced players into meaningful playing time sooner than expected. We’ll be monitoring his impact through camp and the preseason to see if he can contribute in Year 1. Or will the Lions have to dip to their practice squad for a lower-ceiling, higher-floor option if they need a quick fix?

Lynn will be worth tracking this offseason. Undrafted out of William & Mary a year ago, he was flashing some pass-rush potential before a shoulder injury in the preseason put him on the shelf for his rookie year.

A burning question

We’re returning to Davenport because his availability has the potential to be difference-making.

Between 2020 and 2022, Davenport averaged nearly 38 QB pressures. Additionally, he delivered a career-high 9.0 sacks during the 2021 campaign. However, it’s been one thing after another since that peak, requiring multiple surgeries along the way.

In the past three years, he’s had procedures on his shoulder, finger, ankle and tricep. On the plus side, he wouldn’t be the first NFL player to move past injuries and re-establish his value. Heck, if you’re looking for examples, the Lions have a couple of key contributors with similar backgrounds on the roster in Alex Anzalone and Tim Patrick.

If Davenport can play 14 or more games, provide 35 pressures and 6-8 sacks, it would be a massive boost for the unit.

Setting an over/under

Hutchinson sacks: 14.0

I recognize the pace Hutchinson was on last season. Still, it’s also fair to acknowledge he was feasting on some subpar offensive tackles before the injury.

That’s not an attempt to diminish what he was doing through five games. You can only knock down the pins as they’re set up. Regardless, Hutchinson did catch a string of inexperienced backups to open last season, inflating his early production.

He was going to set a career-high and probably still would have led the league in sacks. However, he wasn’t going to realistically maintain the breakneck pace that would have threatened the NFL’s single-season record.

There might be some rust and mental hurdles to overcome after recovering from the broken leg. Still, Hutchinson should quickly get back to dropping quarterbacks.

Setting the bar at 14.0 is lofty. That figure would have tied for second in the NFL last season. That said, for him, it’s doable.