Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions need to improve their pass rush, but the Super Bowl champ Philadelphia Eagles show that a trade for Myles Garrett isn’t the way.
As is tradition after the Super Bowl, NFL fans and analysts are scrambling to figure out ways their team can build exactly like the league’s champion. I think this is flawed reasoning, because we’re relying on a sample size of single-elimination playoffs and I am also firmly against the idea of copycatting in the NFL. Teams build different ways and find success through various strategies.
But I’ll play along. How do the Detroit Lions build like the Philadelphia Eagles to get over the hump and win their first Super Bowl? For many people, Sunday’s dominant win was proof that the Lions need to get as aggressive as possible to land Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett. Price be damned, the Lions need to get that elite pass rusher.
On the surface, I get the argument. The Eagles’ pass rush was dominant against an inferior Chiefs offensive line. They were able to sack Patrick Mahomes six times on Sunday night without sending more than four pass rushers a single time. There’s no doubt the Eagles winning the trench battle on both sides of the ball is a big reason they are champions this Monday morning.
But saying the Lions need to go all-in on a single pass rusher is ignoring how the Eagles have built their pass rush. Let me explain.
The Eagles’ defensive line is built almost exclusively through the draft—and high draft capital.
And that doesn’t even account for some of the other huge performances from the Eagles defense on Sunday. Take 2024 second-round pick Cooper DeJean’s pick six or 2024 first-round pick Quinyon Mitchell’s lock-down coverage all year that help complement Philly’s pass rush.
The Eagles’ defense is proof of concept when it comes to draft and develop—far from an “F THEM PICKS” mentality. In the past three drafts, the Eagles have spent eight of 10 Day 1 or Day 2 picks on defense—half of those spent on the defensive line. The other Day 1 or 2 picks? Offensive line, offensive line. Build through the trenches.
Whereas Lions fans are dreaming about having not just one, but two elite pass rushers, the Eagles’ ability to get to the passer is not just about one or two players or a single position. It’s about everything and everyone working in harmony.
This year, the Eagles didn’t have a single player with more than 8.0 sacks. They only had a single edge rusher (Josh Sweat, 59) with more...
