Photo credit: Donovan Ezeiruaku via Instagram

The off-season will soon be in full swing, with the Super Bowl champion being crowned this weekend. The Detroit Lions have already lost both coordinators to head coaching opportunities, as well as many other members of the coaching staff. Who knows how many players they lose this off-season. But the good news is, there isn’t really a significant Lions free agent outside of Carlton Davis. There is a good chance that they bring back some of their free agents, like Ifeatu Melifonwu, Derrick Barnes, or Levi Onwuzerike, just to name a few.

As far as the draft, I’m not sure there is a pressing need for the Lions this year. Obviously, last April, the cornerback position was a desperate need, and that led to them drafting corners with their first and second round selections. Detroit’s approach will likely be to add more talent/depth on defense after being ravaged by injuries on that side of the ball in 2024-25. An offensive lineman could also be an option for the Lions at some point in the draft.

This is a meat and potatoes draft. It’s incredibly deep with talent in the trenches, especially defensively. The Lions need help in that area. I could definitely see them using multiple early picks on defensive lineman. A Boston College product might be one of the additions to the Lions defense in April.

Who is Donovan Ezeiruaku?

Donovan Ezeiruaku played high school football at Williamstown HS in New Jersey, where he sacked the opposing quarterback just twice during his senior year. Ezeiruaku committed to play for Boston College, and it was there that he developed into one of the most productive pass rushers in college football. Ezeiruaku had 80 tackles, 20.5 tackles for loss, and 16.5 sacks, which is the second most in this class behind Marshall Edge Rusher Mike Green.

Ezeiruaku’s season earned him Consensus All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Ted Hendricks Award, and First-team All-ACC honors.

He’s undersized for the position at 6’2″, 248 pounds, but he makes up for his size disadvantage by beating offensive tackles with great bend and a deep bag of pass rush moves. He’s not very fast, and when you combine that with a lack of size, it makes it difficult for him to have any success on a straight-up bull rush. It also puts him at a disadvantage in the run game. He doesn’t play with his hands in the dirt. He is a stand-up pass rusher. If that’s what your team is looking for, there is no doubt that Ezeiruaku is high on their draft board. If his elite athleticism and bend that go with his pass rush moves work for him in the NFL, he will be very productive for a team in need of defensive line help.

Why is Donovan Ezeiruaku a good fit for the Detroit Lions?

It’s been well documented that the Lions’ pass rush was abysmal after losing Aidan Hutchinson just five games into the season. The trenches definitely need to be addressed this off-season, and the Lions have a great opportunity to add some young talent up front in the draft.

Ezeiruaku would have the opportunity to be an important member of the defense during the 2025 season, but with Za’Darius Smith playing in the final year of his contract, Ezeiruaku’s role would grow in 2026 and beyond, hopefully being Aidan Hutchinson’s long-term partner on the other end of the defensive line.