Three last-minute trade Lions must complete before 2023 NFL deadline
The Detroit Lions have swiftly established themselves as one of the best teams in the NFC and maybe the whole NFL. After seven weeks, Detroit is one of the league’s five 5-2 clubs. The only teams with a better record than the Lions are the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, the two previous Super Bowl finalists. Their two defeats have come against the Seattle Seahawks and the Baltimore Ravens, two teams with two losses apiece.
superior numbers comparable to the Lions. In terms of EPA per play on offense and EPA per play allowed on defense, they are ranked ninth and fourteenth respectively in the NFL. They also have a two-game advantage over the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North. They appear to have what it takes to win their first postseason game since 1991 and qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
However, the Lions should try to swing a move between now and the trade deadline of October 31st in order to further their cause. What kind of exchange should they make is the question at hand.
To rush the quarterback, the Lions require assistance. According to ESPN’s pass rush win rate measure, Detroit has the 28th-best squad in the NFL at getting to the quarterback. A squad hoping to make the playoffs does not want to be ranked 28th out of the 32 teams in the NFL.
When it comes to raw sacks, the Lions also do poorly. In that sense, Detroit is in the center of the pack, but getting even that far has required teamwork. Only Hutchinson has more sacks this season than defensive tackle Alim McNeil, who has two. The rest of the team has 10.5 sacks, while Aidan Hutchinson has 4.5.
All of that would change with Brian Burns. Throughout his NFL career, Burns has averaged at least 7.5 sacks each complete season and at least nine sacks in each of the three seasons prior to 2023. With four sacks so far this season, he’s also off to a strong start.
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