Detroit Lions fans have watched Aidan Hutchinson win his matchups while the rest of the defense gives the yardage right back. Bill Barnwell proposed a deal that would send Khalil Mack and cornerback Donte Jackson from the winless Chargers to Detroit, and it hits both spots where a team trying to fix its pass defense is thin.
His price is a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2027 sixth-round pick, with Los Angeles eating about half of the remaining money. Mack is owed about $5.3 million for the rest of the season and Jackson $4 million, so Detroit would take on roughly $4.65 million. That is a modest bill for a team with the league’s second-best offense in points per drive and a quarterback in the middle of a mistake-free start to the season.
Khalil Mack still wins off the edge
Mack is 35 and considered retirement before returning on a one-year, $18 million deal in March. He has three sacks and six quarterback hits through six games, and Barnwell noted his 5.0% quick pressure rate sits well above the league average of 3.9%. PFF gives him a 75.2 overall grade with 16 pressures on 276 snaps.
Detroit already has the best edge rusher in football by PFF’s measure. Hutchinson leads all edge defenders with a 91.4 grade and 32 pressures, and D.J. Wonnum has a team-high five sacks. Mack would give the Lions a third proven rusher and make it harder for offenses to slide protection toward Hutchinson.
The help is overdue. Detroit allows 404.4 total yards per game, which ranks dead last in the league, per Pro Football Reference.
D.J. Reed needs help at cornerback
The bigger problem sits on the outside. Reed has allowed a 141.7 passer rating and 20.1 yards per reception, and Detroit badly needs him to play like a No. 1 cornerback. The No. 2 boundary spot has rotated among Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. McCreary has been the most productive of the three with seven passes defended.
Jackson played at a Pro Bowl level for the Chargers last season, according to Barnwell, but hamstring issues have limited him to 113 snaps this year. That small sample comes with a 94.1 passer rating allowed, which would still be a clear upgrade on what Detroit has put on the field.
Green Bay is the first test after the bye. Opponents have a 116.2 passer rating on throws of 20 or more air yards against Detroit, according to CBS Sports, and Jordan Love has the second-best passer rating in the NFL on those throws over the past two games. Dan Campbell knows what is coming to Ford Field.
“Look, they’re going to make some plays, but it’s about us making more of them,” Campbell said, via NFL.com.
Brian Branch’s return should help the back end, but one safety cannot fix two weak cornerback spots. Other targets like Tampa Bay corner Zyon McCollum would cost more and only address one need. Barnwell’s package addresses both for two Day 3 picks, and a Lions team built to win now should be making that call before Nov. 10.
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