The Biggest Lions' Weakness That Still Hasn't Been Addressed at OTAs

The Detroit Lions were busy in free agency, and as a result they have depth in a number of areas.

General manager Brad Holmes and the front office were intentional about adding competition at a number of positions, while also tallying insurance in areas where injuries have been prevalent. However, there are still some areas where the team could use an additional player or two to help fortify the roster.

Detroit has added starting-caliber defenders across their defense, but one area still remains in need of some depth as the team heads into its final week of OTAs. That specifically is on the defensive interior, where the Lions lack a tried and true option at the nose tackle position.

Holmes did sign former New York Jet Jay Tufele, who has some experience playing the spot along with some versatility along the defensive line. While Tufele could certainly pan out to be a solid addition, he's made just seven starts across his five NFL seasons.

Whomever the Lions trot out as their nose tackle will have the benefit of working with Alim McNeill, who is posied for a breakout season after spending most of last year re-acclimating after a torn ACL in 2024.

As a result, this nose tackle position's primary objective would be to plug gaps in the run game on a rotational basis, with 2025 first-round pick Tyleik Williams also factoring into that equation.

To Williams' credit, the Lions could certainly be strategically going about not adding at this position in an effort to give the young defender the runway to win the job. However, that has not been the Lions' primary method of operation during the Holmes era, and as a result they could be still looking for an external option to bring in and compete with their first-rounder from a season ago.

Earlier this offseason, I noted one possible option for the Lions would be current Cincinnati Bengals' defensive tackle T.J. Slaton, who could potentially be on his way out heading into the final year of his contract.

Slaton has started 53 of his 85 appearances in five seasons, the first four of which came in the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers.

Other possible options include Daniel Ekuale, who has spent most of his career as a journeyman backup, or Greg Gaines. The latter has some familiarity with Lions' defensive line coach Kacey Rodgers, as Rodgers was the defensive line coach in Tampa Bay before coming to Detroit prior to the 2025 season.

Ultimately, the Lions need to find more external depth for their interior defensive line. It would ease some of the pressure currently facing Williams, who played a small role last year and would be counted on to take a big leap.

Additionally, it would give them another option within their rotation, which would make Kelvin Sheppard's defense more versatile as the team looks to get back on top of the NFC North division in 2026.

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