Aidan Hutchinson is doing the heavy lifting again, and that’s enough to push the Detroit Lions’ edge rush group into the top 10 of a new NFL ranking.
CBS Sports analyst Carter Bahns placed Detroit at No. 8 in his 2026 ranking of all 32 edge rusher units, a spot that puts the Lions ahead of the Green Bay Packers, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. Bahns noted that San Francisco is dealing with serious injuries on both edges, while Green Bay’s outlook is affected by the late return of superstar Micah Parsons from a torn ACL.
For Detroit, Bahns pointed straight at Hutchinson and the need for the rest of the defense to pull its weight.
"The defense has to be better in order for the Lions to get back into the playoffs. The onus falls on the rest of the unit rather than the edge rushers, though. Detroit should have full confidence that Hutchinson and Wonnum will do their part."
Carter Bahns, CBS Sports
Bahns also said Hutchinson is “rounding into a superstar,” which is hard to argue with after the season he just put together. He finished with 14.5 sacks, 35 quarterback hits, 49 pressures, 35 quarterback hits and 20 quarterback knockdowns, all of which ranked in the top five in the NFL.
His 23.1% pass rush win rate ranked third leaguewide, according to Pro Football Focus. On his own, he gives this group a much higher floor.
The problem is everything behind him.
DJ Wonnum is the likeliest Week 1 starter opposite Hutchinson after arriving in free agency. He has two eight-sack seasons on his resume, both coming in Minnesota in 2021 and 2023 while lining up across from Danielle Hunter.
But last season with the Carolina Panthers, he managed only three sacks, seven pressures and four quarterback hits in 16 games. Bahns called him a “fine free agency addition fit for a No. 2 role,” but Detroit needs a lot more than that if it wants this unit to be one of the league’s best.
Second-round rookie Derrick Moore brings more upside. The Michigan product posted 10 sacks and a 20.5 pass rush win rate while showing some run defense ability.
The Lions will almost certainly give him chances to earn a bigger role during the season, though he’s still a rookie and may need time to settle in. Even so, Detroit clearly wants Moore to grow into its long-term No. 2 edge rusher.
The depth chart also includes former first-round pick Payton Turner, who missed 2025 because of injury and has five sacks over the four seasons before last year. He may be fighting just to make the roster. Behind him are 2025 sixth-rounder Ahmed Hassanein and 2026 sixth-rounder Tyre West.
There’s some upside in that mix, but on paper it’s not a deep group unless someone breaks through.
That’s what makes Hutchinson so important. The Lions finished last season with the fourth-most sacks and ninth-most pressures in the NFL, but they were slow getting to the quarterback. Their 2.92-second average time to pressure was the worst in the league, which meant quarterbacks had more time than anyone should be allowed to have.
Al-Quadin Muhammad is no longer around after signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency. He set a career high with 11 sacks, but his week-to-week impact was uneven and he offered little against the run. Seven and a half of those sacks came in just three games, and Detroit was smart not to pay up for that kind of production.
Even so, Muhammad did help when offenses loaded up to stop Hutchinson. If Hutchinson is once again forced to carry the pass rush by himself, the Lions could have a real problem.
Teams can slide protection his way, send chips and try to erase him from the game. If the other edge rushers can’t win their matchups, the whole defense could feel it.
Detroit needs somebody else to cash in on the one-on-ones that Hutchinson creates. Wonnum has done that before.
Moore might get there. But until one of them proves it, Hutchinson remains the engine and the rest of the group is still waiting to catch up.
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