Detroit Lions fans banking on Derrick Moore to improve pass rush

Earlier this week, we published our latest SB Nation Reacts survey, sponsored by the folks at FanDuel Sportsbook, and asked Detroit Lions fans which defensive player, not named Aidan Hutchinson, will record the most sacks in 2026.

For this survey, we gave fans five players to choose from, including defensive tackle Alim McNeill, edge rusher DJ Wonnum, rookie Derrick Moore, and linebackers Jack Campbell and Derrick Barnes.

Let’s take a look at the results from our survey:

Over three-quarters of the votes landed on the two new edge rushers expected to split time opposite Hutchinson, with the shiny new rookie garnering the majority of the confidence. Moore certainly has the skill set to replicate the production he flashed in college, when he registered 10 sacks in 12 games last season, but he’ll need to cut through that learning curve quickly to have a chance to break double-digit sacks in the NFL.

Over the last decade, the NFL’s rookie sack leader had at least 7.5 sacks in their first season, with four breaking double digits. However, it’s also worth noting how difficult this is, as even Hutchinson only had 9.5 sacks as a rookie. That being said, if Moore reaches the 7.5-sack mark, there’s a good chance he’ll prove voters in this poll right, as that number may be enough to get the job done.

Let’s take a look at the comment section of our original article to see fans’ explanations for their selection of Moore, as well as arguments for other players (slightly edited for clarity).

• Sprtn66: “I went with Derrick Moore. I think the Lions finally found the answer opposite Hutchinson.”
• UpAllNight: “Derrick will start out slow, but as the season progresses he will become moore accustomed to the game.“
• Detroit_vs_everyone: “I think if we get 5 out of Alim, Wonnum, Moore and Hassanein, That’s a great tie for second. Throw in 1-2 from Branch and Tyleik and half dozen from the LB Corps, and you got 50+ when you throw in Hutch’s 15+ […] I think it will be Moore though, with 10.”
• LeeCountyFlyDog: “As much as I want it to be Moore, it’s going to be ‘The Wonnz’”.
• Toreyj01: “To be fair, Wonnum shines when he is DE2. […] He is a solid addition to this team and will probably be second on the team in sacks this year. I can see him getting 10 sacks.”
• Blueingreer: “Hope it’s Captain Jack. Open it up and let Campbell loose. That guy is so violent and his instincts so good. Shep talks about giving his LBs freedom to make decisions on the field; let him know blitzing the QB, delayed or from the snap, should be high on the list.”

As a reminder, this survey was sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook, who currently have the Lions listed as +1700 to win this year’s Super Bowl, +800 to win the NFC Championship, and +145 to win the NFC North as the...