The Detroit Lions made significant moves during the 2024 free agency period to strengthen their roster. They traded for Carlton Davis and signed Amik Robertson to improve their cornerback depth. They also brought in D.J. Reader on a $22 million deal to bolster the defensive line and added former Pro Bowl guard Kevin Zeitler to fill their right guard vacancy.

While these moves were largely successful, their first signing of the offseason didn’t pan out as hoped. In an article discussing each NFL team’s best and worst offseason signings, Pro Football Focus’ Dalton Wasserman named Marcus Davenport the Lions’ worst addition of 2024.

Davenport didn’t have much of an opportunity to make an impact in his lone season with the Lions. He was sidelined by two injuries within the first three weeks, with the second injury ending his season. However, it could be argued that the $6.5 million deal was questionable from the start. The Lions needed an edge rusher to complement Aidan Hutchinson, but Davenport had never shown he could fill that role effectively in the NFL. His career high in sacks is nine, and he’s only had more than five sacks in one other season, with injuries often derailing his career.

In his last fully healthy season, Davenport recorded just half a sack over 15 games with the Saints. The Lions eventually addressed their edge-rushing needs by acquiring Za’Darius Smith via trade during the 2024 regular season. Heading into the 2025 offseason, the Lions will aim to add a more reliable, long-term solution to pair with Hutchinson in the pass rush, hoping it works out better than this signing.