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The Detroit Lions signed undrafted edge rusher Anthony Lucas following the 2026 NFL Draft to support Aidan Hutchinson.
The Detroit Lions selected Michigan edge rusher Derrick Moore during the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Lions, though, addressed the edge rushing depth behind All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson again in undrafted free agency.
The official USC Trojans football account on X announced edge rusher Anthony Lucas signed as an undrafted free agent with the Lions.
According to The Athletic’s big board, Lucas was one of the top undrafted players in the entire 2026 draft class. Before the draft, the USC edge rusher sat at No. 185 overall on the consensus big board from The Athletic.
“Lucas has NFL-quality size, with the power profile and quickness to be a firm NFL edge setter and work-in-progress pass rusher,” wrote The Athletic’s staff. “As long as his ‘care’ factor stays high, he has enough physical traits to find work on an NFL defensive line.”
Lucas’s physical traits also impressed NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein throughout the 2026 NFL Draft process.
Lucas is an edge defender with NFL size and length but a disappointing lack of collegiate production,” wrote Zierlein. “There are physical traits and athletic ability to work with but there isn’t enough on tape to project Lucas will stick on a roster.”
Lucas stands at 6-foot-5 and a half and 256 pounds. He also has 33-and-a-half-inch arms and 10-and-a-quarter-inch sized hands.
By no means was Lucas supposed to be an early-round selection. But based on his overall ranking at The Athletic, the company’s staff saw him as a sixth-round prospect. Zierlein projected him as perhaps a seventh-round selection.
So with the Lucas signing, the Lions essentially added another player worth of being a late Day 3 pick according to a lot of analysts.
Lucas has impressive physical traits, but he likely went undrafted because he didn’t have a lot of production at the college level. In 2025, Lucas registered 37 combined tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks with one forced fumble in 12 games at USC.
Over his entire college career, Lucas had seven tackles for loss and three sacks. He began his college tenure at Texas A&M and then spent the final three years with the Trojans.
Lucas will have an opportunity to make the Lions roster. The team has been itching to find a long-term solution opposite Hutchinson on defense.
The undrafted edge rusher isn’t going to be that immediately. But if the Lions see potential in Lucas contributing opposite Hutchinson, the team is likely to find a roster spot for him.
Finding a more suitable long-term solution at edge rusher to complement Hutchinson was one of Detroit’s top offseason goals. The team hopes it has found that in second-round pick Moore.
The Lions also signed veteran edge rusher D.J. Wonnum to a 1-year contract. Wonnum will be a key member of Detroit’s pass rush rotation and could even start as Moore develops early in the season.
Additionally, the Lions added veteran defensive end Payton Turner in 2026 NFL free agency.
Lucas wasn’t the only undrafted edge rusher the Lions signed after the NFL Draft. The team also added Rutgers’ Eric O’Neill.
Lucas and O’Neill will join the Detroit edge rushing room, which also includes Tyre West, Tyler Lacy, and Ahmed Hassanein.
Dave Holcomb is a sports reporter covering the NFL and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Pittsburgh Steelers and a variety of other NFL teams. Originally from Pittsburgh, Holcomb has covered college and professional sports for outlets including FanSided, Rotowire and Yardbarker. More about Dave Holcomb
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