Detroit Lions claim defensive tackle Daylon Mack, a 2019 fifth-rounder

The Detroit Lions claim themselves a run-stuffing defensive tackle off waivers

While most NFL teams are deciding on which cuts to make in order to trim their rosters down from 90 players to 80, the Detroit Lions are taking this opportunity to add a player to their depth chart. On Sunday, it was announced that the Lions had won a waiver claim to acquire former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle, Daylon Mack.

Mack was a fifth-round selection (160th overall) by the Ravens just last year out of Texas A&M. The 23-year old played in one regular-season game last season, recording nine defensive snaps and one snap on special teams. Mack was placed on Injured Reserve last November due to both a knee and hip injury.

In April, the Ravens drafted fellow Aggie defensive tackle Justin Madubuike in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. They then drafted Texas Tech defensive tackle Broderick Washington Jr. in the fifth. So, the expendable Mack was released as part of Baltimore’s attempt to cut down their roster to under 80 players on Saturday, placing him on the open waiver wire.

Is the Detroit Lions’ newest player more than a one-year wonder?

Coming out of Texas A&M, Mack was a bit of a one-year wonder. After being a backup for most of his college career, the undersized 6-foot-1, 340-pound run-stuffing defensive tackle racked up 32 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks as a senior. Mack’s stellar play would continue in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, earning him a fourth-round projection from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein entering the 2019 draft.

Now with the Detroit Lions, Daylon Mack figures to compete for a rotational role behind the newly acquired Danny Shelton, the former New England Patriots’ defensive tackle. With Mack, the Lions address a need for depth at the position after defensive tackle John Atkins chose to opt-out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns late last month.