Detroit Lions free agency 2019: Top 5 targets

1. DE Dante Fowler Jr. (Los Angeles Rams)

A year ago, the Lions opted to secure the services of standout pass rusher Ziggy Ansah by giving him the franchise tag. The talented pass rusher had racked up 44 sacks in his first five seasons and was a Pro Bowler in 2015. But the 2013 first-round pick was bitten by the injury bug this past year and was limited to a career-low seven games. He finished with four sacks and now it will be interesting to see if the organization would consider locking him up long-term or even tag him for the second straight offseason.

Meanwhile, Dante Fowler Jr.’s NFL career has been a storied one even though it began just four years ago when he was the third overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He never took the field that year due to injury but slowly he regained the form that had scouts excited. He played in all 16 games for the team in 2016 and a total of four sacks. He never started a game the following year but double that QB trap total (8), forced a pair of fumbles and recovered three opponent’s miscues. He would add two more sacks in Jacksonville’s 24-20 loss to the Patriots in the AFC title game.

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After playing seven games with the Jaguars this past season, Fowler was dealt to the Los Angeles Rams. With Sean McVay’s club, there were 21 tackles and two sacks in eight outings. During the team’s three-game postseason run, the talented defender spent a lot of time in opposing backfields via 12 tackles (4 for losses) and 1.5 sacks. There are some premium defensive ends that could hit the free-agent market if not franchised or re-signed. If he hits the open market, Fowler will certainly have his share of suitors.