Grading Two ESPN Detroit Lions 2025 Trade Proposals

Would these deals be helpful to the Detroit Lions?

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

On Sunday evening, the Detroit Lions fell to the Kansas City Chiefs, in a game that saw Dan Campbell's squad being undone by some uncharacteristic flaws. 

In spite of their 4-2 record, the losses to Green Bay and Kansas City show there are ways the Lions can improve, if they want to capitalize on their current Super Bowl window.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell recently released 13 pre-deadline trades, with Detroit being listed as the beneficiaries for a pair of them.

In these proposed trades, the Lions bolster their defensive line with a pair of edge rushers.

While one is a homerun, the other might be a bit puzzling.

Proposed Trade: Lions add Cincinnati EDGE Trey Hendrickson

Lions acquire: EDGE Trey Hendrickson, 2026 NFL Draft fourth-round selection
Bengals acquire: 2026 NFL Draft second-round selection
Grade: A

The Lions would bolster their pass rush immediately, with Hendrickson and Hutchinson forming a duo that no team could properly prepare for. If a team uses their running backs or tight ends to chip the edge rushers, it takes another option out of the play, while also putting the interior in position to create havoc. There would be no good way to counter it.

This would be a win-win situation for the Bengals and Lions. In the offseason, the Lions would be giving up much more capital to acquire Hendrickson, as the acquisition would come with the expectation of a long-term extension. Now, the Lions would grab Hendrickson as a rental to gear up for the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati finds themselves in Hendrickson’s contract year with no realistic chance of playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. The second-round pick also offers more than letting the FAU product walk during the free agency period.

Dan Campbell is familiar with Hendrickson from his time with the New Orleans Saints, while GM Brad Holmes has made aggressive trades to acquire pass rushers before, notably with the Rams for Von Miller.

With the cap space not as large of a problem this season as it will be, this becomes a now or never year. Add that to the current secondary injury concerns, and Detroit could afford to speed up the time to throw with an aggressive pass rush.

Proposed Trade: Lions add Miami EDGE Jaelan Phillips

Lions acquire: EDGE Jaelan Phillips, 2026 NFL Draft seventh-round selection
Miami acquires: 2026 NFL Draft fourth-round selection
Grade: C

This move goes in tandem with the move to grab Hendrickson. The Lions would have a set of five edge rushers comprised of Hutchinson, Hendrickson, Phillips, Marcus Davenport, and Al-Quadin Muhammad, assuming Davenport can rehab and return to play at some point later this season.

Phillips likely bumps inside to join a healthy Alim McNeill, and guards are stuck with a star edge rusher on each of their shoulders.

The key argument is that while the Lions lose picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, their cap space situation puts them in a position where a lack of big spending in free agency leads to Detroit re-acquiring compensatory selections in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Miami frees space for rookie Chop Robinson to have a bigger role, and Detroit makes their starting four terrifying, while the reserves remain just as scary.

The main drawback for this trade is Phillips’ injury history. The Dolphin has had a pair of torn ACLs and an Achilles tear in his career. He has missed 22 of the 34 games between 2023 and 2024. Losing a fourth-round selection after losing a top-64 pick is too steep of a price to pay for a player with a long injury report.

Additionally, if the Lions are content with losing a second-and-fourth-round selection, the question becomes if they would be better served acquiring another defensive back.

The Lions are currently down both starting corners, and could be without both starting safeties this week. Also, veteran defensive back Avonte Maddox has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out of practice lately.