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A former Pro Bowl player worth $26 million is proposed as a key addition to the Lions’ playoff push

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The Detroit Lions defeated the Minnesota Vikings 31–9 at Ford Field on Sunday Night Football to cap off the 2024 regular season in commanding fashion. Detroit secured the NFC North for the second consecutive year and, for the first time in the team’s history, the top seed in the conference with their victory over Minnesota in Week 18.

Due to the benefits of being the top seed, Dan Campbell’s team will have a bye week in the Wild Card round and won’t play again until the Divisional Round. In addition to giving the team a chance to recuperate and get ready for a much-anticipated postseason run, general manager Brad Holmes is also using this time to bolster the team’s roster with some talent.

Although the Lions have one of the NFL’s deepest rosters, Detroit is worried about the edge rusher position. Although the addition of Za’Darius Smith has greatly improved the pass-rushing department, Holmes should try to add another player to the position group before the Lions play in the Divisional Round because injuries to Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport have severely damaged the unit.

If the Lions wish to strengthen the pass rush prior to the postseason, they must move swiftly because playoff teams’ rosters are frozen at 4 p.m. EST on January 8. Despite the incredibly weak free agent market at this stage of the season, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report urges Detroit to add veteran edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue to the roster in order to qualify for the postseason.

“Detroit could also provide a sensible landing spot for Ngakoue,” Knox stated. “The loss of star pass-rusher Aidan Hutchinson was the biggest blow to the Lions defense, which has been severely impacted by injuries. He has been sidelined since Week 6 due to a fractured tibia and fibula, and it is highly unlikely that he will make a comeback this season until the Super Bowl.

Although Ngakoue isn’t the same player he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars early in his career, the 29-year-old could still offer Detroit’s edge rusher room some sufficient depth. Ngakoue played in 11 games this season, including five with the Baltimore Ravens and six with the New England Patriots. He recorded 1.5 sacks and 10 quarterback pressures.

Only two years have passed since the 2016 third-round selection had a nine-sack and forty-four-quarterback pressure campaign with the Indianapolis Colts in 2022 and four sacks with the Chicago Bears in 2023. Over the past few seasons, Ngakoue has played as a journeyman, appearing for seven different teams since 2019.

All things considered, Ngakoue is past his best and is no longer a dependable NFL pass rusher. But for the Lions’ postseason run, the former Maryland standout would be a wise veteran addition to the defensive line.

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