Saturday’s preseason matchup against the Washington Commanders should give the Detroit Lions their first real look at Derrick Moore in game action, and that matters because the rookie edge rusher may be the closest thing they’ve had to a potential running mate for Aidan Hutchinson.
Moore, a second-round pick, is expected to make his preseason debut after missing time early in camp with a groin strain. He said the chance to get back on the field will help him settle in again after being sidelined for two weeks.
“It can help me a lot, just getting back into the rhythm,” Moore said of playing in the preseason game. “I've been out for two weeks, so getting back into the rhythm, being able to go against different competition and seeing different looks and different things like that- just showing everybody what I'm capable of doing.”
Even with the missed time, Moore has started to show why Detroit targeted him so early. He turned in a strong Wednesday practice, collecting a pair of sacks - one with Hutchinson and another with Alim McNeill. That kind of disruption is exactly what the Lions want from their highest-drafted edge rusher since 2022.
That doesn’t mean anyone should pin a huge rookie season on him right away. Moore is still a rookie, and expecting him to deliver a 30-plus, eight-sack year from the jump would be out of bounds. But if he can claim a role and provide splash plays at a position Detroit badly needs help at, it would reshape the defense.
At Michigan, Moore showed a well-rounded edge game. He held up against the run, brought speed-to-power as a pass rusher and finished his final season with the Wolverines leading the team in sacks (10.5), tackles for loss (10.5) and forced fumbles (two). He also flashed the ability to slide inside on passing downs.
That kind of versatility is part of why the Lions have spent Hutchinson’s entire career searching for a true complement. Marcus Davenport was brought in as a powerful edge setter but couldn’t stay healthy.
Josh Paschal, a fellow 2022 pick, offered intriguing versatility but has also been slowed by injury. Bargain free-agent pickup Al-Quadin Muhammad put up 11.5 sacks last season, though his play was inconsistent and he was not much of a factor against the run.
Hutchinson remains the engine of Detroit’s pass rush, and head coach Dan Campbell said the team can’t keep asking him to do everything.
“That's why it's important for a guy like Derrick Moore to come on,” Campbell said. “ He just got back, and he's gotten two good days of work.
That's positive, but he's got a long way to go. He just needs reps.”
“Derrick Moore needs reps, but we like what we’ve seen for the limited amount of snaps he's had so far. But it'll be big.”
Detroit’s defensive line looks deeper and more flexible than it has in some time. McNeill appears to be back to form, and Tyleik Williams, Tyler Lacy, D.J. Wonnum, Levi Onwuzurikem and rookie Skyler Gill-Howard have all flashed at different points in camp.
Moore may have the highest ceiling of the group.
“We’ve got a deep d-line room that can get to the ball,” Moore said. “So, that's my mindset on every third down, really on every passing down- just get to the ball best as I can because I know it's other guys getting there before me.”
With a shaky secondary in front of them, the Lions could use a disruptive pass rush to help cover some of the cracks. Moore looks like a key part of that equation, and Saturday offers the first chance to see what that might look like.
“I feel like coach, he looks at me as a guy who can get to the ball,” Moore said. “I feel like that's what he wants to do on third down, is get to the ball. I just want to be one of them guys that he trusts.”
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