Brad Holmes and the Lions have made a move on the edge: Detroit traded up six spots in the second round of the draft to take Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore No. 44 overall, creating a potentially dynamic duo of former Wolverines with Aidan Hutchinson.
Moore had 10 sacks in 12 games in his senior season at Michigan. He's known first as a pass-rusher, which suits a Lions defensive line that needs more disruption opposite Hutchinson. Moore should be a natural complement to free agent acquisition D.J. Wonnum, who's known more for stopping the run.
To make the move up the board, the Lions sent picks Nos. 50 and 128 to the Jets. The latter pick was the extra fourth-rounder they got from the Texans in the David Montgomery trade. They still have their own fourth-rounder at No. 118.
It marks the first time the Lions have drafted a defensive end on the first or second day of the draft since 2022, when they took Hutchinson second overall and Josh Pashcal in round two. Moore lit up when asked Friday night about Hutchinson, who was a rookie with the Lions when Moore was a freshman in Ann Arbor. Moore said he watched Hutchinson frequently over his first two seasons in Detroit, while aiming to break his single-season sack record at Michigan.
Moore came up four sacks short last season. He smiled and said, "Man, I'll be honest with you, that was one right there that I’m definitely excited about, to be playing next to Hutch. Hopefully we can go cause a lot of havoc."
Moore is a little smaller than the Lions tend to prefer at the edge position at 6'4, 255 lbs., but has NFL length and, again, boasts the pass-rushing chops the Lions could use. Despite accruing the fourth most sacks in the NFL last year, they ranked toward the bottom of the league in time to quarterback pressure and time for opposing quarterback to throw.
“You can see just how explosive and powerful he is,” said NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah. "He's got the production with sacks. He's got an array of moves, quick swipe. He's got strong hands. He can kind of rip and flat into the quarterback. He plays hard. He can really dominate tight ends at the point of attack.”
Moore's go-to move is the bull rush, where he utilizes his power to drive back tackles and his heavy hands to finish the job.
"He’s strong through the top of the rush," per NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein, "but needs to prove he can consistently stress long, well-anchored tackles. When it’s time to finish, he tackles with reliable technique and timing."
Moore had the seventh highest pass-rushing grade in the country last season, per PFF. While he wasn't as impactful against the run, "he can become a good full-time player," per Zierlein, "if he cranks up the fire on all three downs.
"Either way," says Zierlein, "he projects as a starter capable of racking up pressures."
