Lions trade up in second round for Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore

Brad Holmes and the Lions have made a move on the edge: Detroit moved up six spots in the second round of the draft to take Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore No. 44 overall, creating a potentially dynamic duo of former Wolverines with Aidan Hutchinson.

Moore had 10 sacks in 12 games in his senior season at Michigan. He's known first as a pass-rusher, which suits a Lions defensive line that needs more disruption opposite Hutchinson. Moore should be a natural complement to free agent acquisition D.J. Wonnum, who's known more for stopping the run.

To make the move up the board, the Lions sent picks Nos. 50 and 128 to the Jets.

It marks the first time the Lions have drafted a defensive end on the first or second day of the draft since 2022, when they took Hutchinson second overall and Josh Pashcal in round two.

Moore is a little smaller than the Lions tend to prefer at the edge position at 6'4, 255 lbs., but has good length and, again, boasts the pass-rushing chops the Lions could use. Despite accruing the fourth most sacks in the NFL last year, they ranked toward the bottom of the league in time to quarterback pressure and time for opposing quarterback to throw.

Per NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein, Moore "is a bull-rush aficionado, piling up pressures and sacks. He’s strong through the top of the rush but needs to prove he can consistently stress long, well-anchored tackles. When it’s time to finish, he tackles with reliable technique and timing."

Moore had the seventh highest pass-rushing grade in the country last season, per PFF. While he wasn't as impactful against the run, "he can become a good full-time player," per Zierlein, "if he cranks up the fire on all three downs.

"Either way," says Zierlein, "he projects as a starter capable of racking up pressures."