Lions Blockbuster Trade Prediction Lands Four-Time Pro Bowler

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nate Lunak | Last updated Apr 22, 2025 3:07 PM ET

The Detroit Lions have some high expectations entering the 2025 season, with ESPN BET giving them the best odds of winning the NFC North (+135) and the fifth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl.

One area they could help improve their chances is the defense, which in 2024 ended the season ranked 20th in total yards per game allowed (342.4) and seventh in points per game allowed (20.1).

In an article for Pro Football & Sports Network, Kyle Soppe predicts the Lions could receive a boost by acquiring Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson and the No. 81 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, in exchange for the No. 28, 102 and 228 picks.

"Hendrickson was a one-man wrecking crew in 2024, earning his first All-Pro selection and a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.... Elite pass rushers are at a premium in the NFL, and the Lions would have two of them," Soppe wrote. "For a team that is ready to win now, the Lions cannot afford to sit on their hands."

As a four-time Pro Bowler, Hendrickson had an impressive career, but 2024 was his best season so far, appearing in 17 games while racking up 46 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss and 54 pressures.

He could immediately come in and improve the Lions' already impressive pass rush, which last season tied for 23rd in sacks (37), ranked second in hurries (73) and fourth in pressures (179).

As alluded to by Soppe, his pairing with Aidan Hutchinson, who in his first three seasons in the NFL has already emerged as one of the NFL's best pass rushers, could create an elite duo.

However, Hendrickson has just one year under contract, so if the Lions wanted to keep him long term, an extension would need to be figured out, with Spotrac placing his market value at $31.5 million annually.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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