What Lions Are Getting in DL Isaiah Buggs

Isaiah, your NFL career is not over.

Defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs, a recent free-agent acquisition of Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions, thought his playing days in the National Football League were over before the Lions picked him up on Friday.

"Thought my NFL career was over once the Steelers released me,” Buggs posted on his Instagram account, after inking his contract with Detroit. “I took my L and kept working‼️ God said in His word I will never leave you nor forsake you. I wanna thank God for allowing me to continue what I work hard for all my life‼️ Thank you Detroit Lions for giving me this opportunity. Let’s work.”

The 25-year-old, who is set to turn 26 on August 24, was a sixth-round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2019 NFL Draft. He suited up for 29 games (seven starts) in three seasons with the Steelers, amassing 31 total tackles, including two tackles for loss, a lone QB hit and a single pass defensed.

It wasn't enough production for the Steelers' liking, as they placed him on waivers the day before their 2021 regular season finale. He proceeded to join the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad the following week, which came right before the Raiders’ playoff loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

Now, with training camps ready to open up across the NFL this upcoming week, the Alabama product finds himself a member of the Lions.

Detroit is a bit thin along the defensive line, with Michael Brockers as the lone returning veteran lineman that played in at least 100 snaps a season ago.

Levi Onwuzurike also saw an ample amount of playing time in 2021, playing in 16 of a possible 17 games. However, he is just a second-year pro, and had an underwhelming rookie campaign. So, he will need to experience an uptick in production, in order to garner consistent playing time throughout the course of the 2022 season.

It leaves Buggs, who stands in at 6-foot-3, 295 pounds, with a chance to prove his worth during training camp.

He's the definition of a depth piece for Detroit's young defensive line, and most importantly, he's done most of his work as a pro along the interior of the D-line.

That's a major area of need for the Lions' defense, so Buggs could end up coming very in handy if the team's defensive linemen group is struck by the injury bug.

With that said, I expect him to start off the season on the Lions' practice squad. But, if any of the linemen ahead of him on the depth chart (i.e. Brockers, Onwuzurike, Alim McNeill) have to miss time, he'll be one of the first players promoted to the active roster to fill the subsequent void.