After several injuries on Thanksgiving, the Lions are signing defensive lineman Jonah Williams off the Rams’ practice squad, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
Four Lions defensive linemen – Mekhi Wingo, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzirke – suffered injuries during Thursday’s win. Wingo (knee) was able to return to the game, but Paschal (knee) and Onwuzirke (hamstring) missed the entire second half. Za’Darius Smith, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and DJ Reader were able to pick up the slack with 22 combined quarterback pressures, per Next Gen Stats, but Detroit still needed additional depth to weather the injuries.
Williams has appeared in just seven games this year – one for the Vikings and seven for the Rams – but he played in 33 games with 22 starts across 2022 and 2023 in Los Angeles. The versatile defender can line up off the edge or on the interior, so he could play a similar role as Paschal and John Cominsky, according to Detroit Football Network’s Justin Rogers.
Williams began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Rams in 2020 when current Lions general manager Brad Holmes was the Rams’ director of college scouting, so Holmes “would have been heavily involved in scouting the lineman,” per Rogers.
The Lions currently have 53 players on their active roster, so they will need to make a move to accommodate Williams. That will likely be placing linebacker Malcom Rodriguez on injured reserve after his ACL tear on Thursday.
I think the Lions have really reshaped their entire organization when they brought in Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell , Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn along with other quality former players/coaches. What the Fords have done is what the Bears should try to copy…Be strong owners but get quality people to run the team.
Holmes has done a great job with the draft, free agents for the most part, trades that were not only good in the short term but also in the long run and extending key players.
Grabbing Jonah Williams is a great get…very low risk with a good upside and when you have coaches that players actually want to play for instead of in spite of it’s just a really good recipe for continuing success. Will the Lions get to the Super Bowl?
Who knows but they are fun to watch and I think it’s awesome that they are now in the conversation.
Four Lions defensive linemen – Mekhi Wingo, Josh Paschal, and Levi Onwuzirke. Editing is a lost skill.