The Detroit Lions got the best of both worlds in 2024, landing one of the highest-rated prospects in last year’s draft (cornerback Terrion Arnold) while simultaneously filling an urgent position of need.

They can only hope to be so lucky this time around.

The 2025 NFL Draft is two weeks away, and there are a handful of directions the Lions can go at No. 28 overall. Chief among those options is edge rusher, as the Lions continue their quest to find a long-term complement opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

If the Lions are interested in emerging form the first round with an edge rusher, we’ve got our eyes on these five (listed alphabetically).

Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College

Only three players in the country had more than 15 sacks in 2024, and we’ve got two of them on this list — Mike Green (17) and Ezeiruaku (16.5). The latter, a three-star recruit in the Class of 2021 who spent the last four seasons at Boston College, burst onto the national scene as a senior. Ezeiruaku (6-2.5, 248 pounds) was dominant in 2024, backing up his sack total with the pressures (60, which was tied for the sixth-most in the nation) to match. The best performance of Ezeiruaku’s collegiate career came in his final game with the Eagles, where he posted 14 pressures and 3½ sacks against Pittsburgh in November.

The 2024 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a consensus All-America selection (also the winner of the Ted Hendricks Award, given annually to college football’s top defensive end), Ezeiruaku vaulted himself into most first-round projections with his play last season. He’s also shown some promise as a run defender; among all edge defenders, his run-defense grade from PFF ranked 20th in 2024 (83.6), 23rd in 2023 (81.1) and 20th in 2022 (83.6).

Mike Green, Marshall

Few players filled the stat sheet like Green (6-foot-3, 251 pounds), who tallied 84 tackles (23 for loss), 59 pressures and 17 sacks for the Thundering Herd in 2024. He was PFF’s highest-rated defender (92.4) and had a pass-rush win rate of 20.2%, which was tied for 20th among the 1,005 collegiate players who saw at least 100 pass-rush snaps. He helped boost his status at the Senior Bowl, too, performing well during practices throughout the week as he sought to prove his gaudy numbers weren’t merely a product of playing in the Sun Belt Conference.

Green could very well be off the board by the time the Lions are on the clock, but his projected draft stock varies due to off-the-field concerns; he’s been accused of sexual assault twice, though he was never charged with a crime in either instance (he discussed the alleged incidents while at the combine in February, denying any wrongdoing). The Lions talk about valuing character, so it’ll be up to them to do their due diligence.

Nic Scourton, Texas A&M

Scourton (6-3, 257 pounds) only spent one season with the Aggies, but he settled in nicely with 36 pressures and a team-high 5 sacks over 12 games. He’s one of two pass rushers coming out of Texas A&M who are expected to be early-round selections, joined by Shemar Stewart (more on Stewart shortly). Scourton’s career began with two seasons at Purdue, with his most impressive campaign coming in 2023; he had 42 pressures in 11 appearances and led the Big Ten with 10 sacks.

One of the most intriguing things about Scourton is his change in weight from the season. He was listed at 285 pounds on Texas A&M’s roster, and Purdue had him at 280 pounds in 2023. At the combine, though? He checked in nearly 30 pounds lighter. If he can maintain his power while also becoming quicker, Scourton’s ceiling changes.

Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M

There may not be a more interesting prospect, regardless of position, in the draft than Stewart (6-5, 267 pounds). He checks all the physical boxes — he turned in a perfect Relative Athletic Score, via Kent Lee Platte — and was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2022. His showing at the combine was electric, as he, along with Arkansas standout Landon Jackson, joined Mario Williams and Myles Garrett as the only defensive ends in the event’s history to weigh more than 260 pounds and have a vertical of 40 or more inches. Put simply, Stewart looks like he was created in a lab to rush the passer.

The confounding catch is his production. Stewart popped for a career-high 39 pressures in 2024, but he was only able to muster 4.5 sacks over his three-year, 37-game tenure at Texas A&M. While answering questions at the combine, Stewart explained his puzzling numbers by saying he wasn’t a “sack-chasing warrior. I just want to be the best player for my team, and sometimes the stats don’t show that.”

Mykel Williams, Georgia

Williams (6-5, 260 pounds) didn’t have the breakout season some were expecting in 2024, but that can be partially blamed on the ankle sprain he suffered in the season opener against Clemson; Williams said at the combine the injury was something he dealt with all season long, and it limited him to “less than 60%.” Williams, rated as the No. 4 overall player in the Class of 2022, was fairly consistent throughout his career at Georgia, posting 33 pressures in 2022 and 26 apiece in 2023 and ’24. He also had at least 4½ sacks every season.

With the Bulldogs swimming in talent — every defensive lineman/edge rusher who played 100 or more snaps at Georgia in 2024 was a four-star recruit or better, and six were top-200 prospects — Williams didn’t have the type of opportunities other players on this list enjoyed. Williams had 249 pass-rush snaps in 2024, comfortably lower than what was received by Ezeiruaku (428), Green (354), Scourton (316) and Stewart (315). He fits the physical profile of a stout edge defender, and there’s presumably a good bit of potential to tap into.