Detroit Lions Ink Former Buccaneers OL to Practice Squad

The Detroit Lions have added another competitor to their guard competition via the practice squad.

On Monday, the Lions reportedly added Elijah Klein, according to Greg Auman of Fox Sports. Klein comes to Detroit by way of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who waived Klein as part of final cuts on Sunday.

Klein entered the league as a sixth-round draft pick of Tampa Bay's in 2024. In his first two seasons, he has appeared in 26 games with one start including 16 appearances as a rookie and 10 last year.

The UTEP product becomes the 15th member of the Lions' practice squad, meaning the team has one open spot at this present juncture. Detroit announced its first 14 signings earlier on Monday, with all 14 being players who had played for the organization during training camp.

In the Buccaneers' three preseason games, Klein played a total of 119 snaps and recorded a Pro Football Focus grade of 60.2 overall, with a 58.8 grade in pass-blocking and a 57.9 grade in run-blocking.

Klein appeared in three games on offense for the Buccaneers last year, with the other appearances coming exclusively on special teams. In his 87 snaps last year, Klein recorded an overall offensive grade of 37.8 with an 80.6 mark in pass-blocking and 29.9 in run-blocking.

The addition of Klein is intriguing, as it adds another experienced option to the mix. Detroit entered the fall with a competition planned for the left guard spot, but injuries ultimately prevented it from fully materializing.

Ben Bartch and Cade Mays both suffered injuries, which limited the competition for Mahogany as Bartch was sidelined and Juice Scruggs was forced to play center. As a result, Bartch being healthy and Klein's addition makes things intriguing heading into Week 1.

Detroit kept nine offensive linemen through final cuts, including a projected starting five of tackles Penei Sewell and Blake Miller, guards Christian Mahogany and Tate Ratledge and center Juice Scruggs.

Providing depth for the unit are guards Ben Bartch and Miles Frazier, tackle Larry Borom and center Seth McLaughlin. As a member of the practice squad, Klein could be elevated in up to three games before the team must elect to sign him or allow him to pursue opportunities with other teams.

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