Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images If the Detroit Lions aren’t interested in trading for an Aidan Hutchinson replacement, they could also look at other teams’ practice squads. Here are 4 players Detroit could poach. With Aidan Hutchinson out for the season with a tibial fracture, the Detroit Lions are now in need of another pass rusher on their defensive line. There are several candidates they could trade for, but if the Lions don’t want to give up draft capital, there is another route to consider: Detroit could sign a player from another team’s practice squad. The player that is “poached” can sign any deal the team desires but must be given a minimum of three week’s salary. The player will also count towards the team’s 53-man roster for those three weeks, even if the player is released. Obviously, the talent pool is limited at this point in the season, as these players would be on a team’s 53-man roster if they were a starting-caliber player. If Detroit were to sign a player off another team’s practice squad, that player would help round things out the depth at defensive end. Here are four practice squad players around the league that could fill the void on Detroit’s defensive line: Yannick Ngakoue, Baltimore Ravens [Editor’s Note: Yannick Ngakoue is reportedly signing to the Ravens’ 53-man roster. This list was created before that news dropped, and because the news is not official yet, we’re going to keep him on the list. Who knows? Maybe the Lions forced this move and will attempt to throw more money at him.] Easily the most experienced and well-known player on this list, Ngakoue would have the best chance of coming to Detroit and making an immediate impact. The 29-year-old has consistently been one of the better pass rushers in the NFL. His 70.0 career sacks rank ninth-most in the league since his rookie season in 2016. The former Pro Bowler also has 72 TFLs and 144 quarterback hits credited to his name. Yannick Ngakoue uses cross chop, then bends to get under the arms of the LT. Mahomes wants to step up but Hankins provides interior pressure. Ngakoue continues to pursue and records sack.#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/UH0yEoBkoU— Ryan Holmes (@Rholm22) December 14, 2021 Ngakoue has already been elevated from the practice squad twice for Baltimore. A practice squad player is only allowed three elevations to the game day roster in a single season, so the Ravens will soon need to sign the nine-year veteran to their active roster or move on from him completely. This gives Detroit a great opportunity to swoop in and sign him to a decent deal that is friendly to both sides. Shaq Lawson, Carolina Panthers Another 2016 first-round draft pick is stashed away on a practice squad and ready to be signed by another team. Shaq Lawson is currently with the Panthers after spending time with the Bills, Dolphins, Texans, and Jets. Sack Lawson. @Shaq_Lawson90 | #BUFvsDET pic.twitter.com/SfQ3Uj0IGm— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 24, 2019 Lawson doesn’t have the career success that Ngakoue has had, but he still can provide that veteran presence at defensive end that the Lions need right now. Lawson has steadily provided each of the teams that he has been with solid depth as a pass rusher. He has just 38 starts over eight seasons but has appeared in 108 games. In that span, he still was able to sack opposing quarterbacks 26.0 times and forced eight turnovers. Lawson would fit in Detroit’s defense more as a true down defensive end. Where Hutchinson sometimes rushed from a two-point stance, Lawson would play from a five-technique role much like Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal do. That being said, he does have some experience as a pass-rushing outside linebacker from his time in Miami as well. Derek Rivers, Indianapolis Colts Sticking with the theme of “veterans with potential,” former third-round pick Derek Rivers could be another player who fits the bill for what Detroit would need to fill that void at the pass rusher role. Rivers is a versatile edge defender who has shown flashes in the NFL but hasn’t ever done enough to be an impact player. Yet, here he is in year eight, still in the league. He is slim by lineman standards at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, but that fits with what Detroit needs right now in that spot. Derek Rivers with the ghost rush. @D_Rivers11 flashes the inside hand, then dips to reduce his hitting surface. Ends up with a sack! #passrush #texans pic.twitter.com/aiVoxaMNam— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 16, 2022 There is one glaring issue with Rivers, however. Despite being in the league since 2017, he has not appeared in an NFL game since the 2021 season. He spent 2022 on injured reserve and 2023 on the Texans and Colts practice squads. Khalid Kareem, Atlanta Falcons A Detroit native who played at Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, Khalid Kareem is another player who would fit what the Lions are looking for at defensive end. Kareem, a fifth-round pick by the Bengals back in 2020, initially provided depth for Cincinnati at defensive end while also playing a small role on special teams. Unfortunately, injuries hampered his career, and he has found himself bouncing from practice squad to practice squad since then. Khalid Kareem (@khalid_kareem53) squeezes/surfs his gap & is in position to make the TFL! #StopTheRun #DaBears pic.twitter.com/zy3sSpLqaD— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) August 2, 2024 In limited action over four seasons, Kareem has put up just one sack and one forced fumble, as well as 30 total tackles. While these numbers might not be the kind that replace a talent like Aidan Hutchinson, they do help round out the bottom of the depth chart. Kareem’s position may be listed as outside linebacker with the Falcons, but his role is still the same as it has always been: situational pass rusher. An added benefit is that he has shown some flashes as a stout run defender as well.