4 players Detroit Lions could consider adding to bolster their offensive line depth
The Detroit Lions notably did not have their projected five starting offensive lineman together for a single snap in 2021 or 2022. That lasted one game into this season, before left tackle Taylor Decker suffered a right ankle injury in Week 1 and has missed the last two games.
Even if Decker returns to action against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4, as he said he intends to, the Lions are still going to be without right guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai (knee) for at least one more game. And Matt Nelson, who stepped in to start at right tackle when Decker was out and Penei Sewell moved across the line, is now headed for IR after suffering an ankle injury in Week 3. Dan Skipper also left the game against Atlanta with an injury, leaving rookie Colby Sorsdal to finish the game at right tackle.
Even if Vaitai is back before placing him on IR from the start might have made sense, left guard Jonah Jackson has popped up this week with a thigh injury. No team would do well with any starting offensive lineman out, and overall offensive line depth is not a problem unique to the Lions. But the hits Jared Goff took against the Falcons, both in volume and severity, cannot stand as the standard if one of more guys miss time.
Only for depth purposes, these four offensive lineman might make sense for the Lions to add sometime soon.