Matt Patricia has a certain fascination with front-seven players on the Giants. He also has a pretty good hit rate. And now, one of the best might be available.

The Giants are looking into the possibility of trading Pro Bowl defensive end Olivier Vernon, NFL Network reported Friday.

Vernon, 28, came to New York in the same big free-agent haul that landed Damon “Snacks” Harrison in 2016. The Lions traded for Harrison midseason last year, and the massive nose tackle helped transform Detroit’s run defense into one of the best in the league down the stretch.

Detroit also signed Romeo Okwara, and the former Giants defensive end led the team with 7.5 sacks. It also added former Giants linebacker Kelvin Sheppard as depth.

Their former teammate brings quite a profile at defensive end. At 6 feet 2 inches and 270 pounds, Vernon is considered one of the league’s elite play-side run defenders, setting a sound edge and making stops on stretch runs. He also adds some pass rush, with at least six sacks in six straight seasons. He had 11.5 with the Dolphins in 2013.

Vernon has had some injury issues with nine missed games over the past two seasons, including an ankle issue that limited him to 11 games last year.

The Lions have a need at defensive end with Ezekiel Ansah hitting free agency. They hit Ansah with the $17.1 million franchise tag last year so he could set the edge and provide a rush around it, but he only managed to play seven games and the defense struggled immensely without him, finishing 28th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric.

Vernon has two years remaining on his contract with cap hits of $15.5 million for both seasons. Given the hefty price tag, he could likely be had for a third-round pick or later.

The Lions have nine picks in this year’s draft, starting with the No. 8 overall selection. They also could have up to $50 million in cap space if they move on from right guard T.J. Lang.

They have a few different options for answering the massive hole Ansah is leaving behind. They could sign former Patriots defensive end Trey Flowers or go after an edge rusher in the draft like Clemson’s Clelin Ferrell or Mississippi State’s Montez Sweat.

Vernon just adds to the possibilities of the offseason.