Detroit Lions add experience to offensive line depth with former first-round pick Germain Ifedi

Experience behind their offensive line starters is a bit of thing for the Detroit Lions, and they've added some by bringing in former first-round pick Germain Ifedi.

The Detroit Lions can put their starting five offensive lineman against any in the league and come out among the best. But depth, at least in terms of experience, is a little bit of a concern. On Tuesday Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported they have agreed to terms with veteran offensive lineman Germain Ifedi.

Ifedi spent last season with the Atlanta Falcons, who cut him last week after re-signng him in March. He appeared in all 17 games for Atlanta in 2022, but he did not make a start with most of his snaps coming on special teams (72, vs. eight offensive snaps).

Ifedi was a first-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks (No. 31 overall) in 2016. After four seasons there, as the Seahawks declined his fifth year option, he spent two seasons with the Chicago Bears before last year with the Falcons.

Over seven seasons, Ifedi has appeared in 102 games (83 starts). He has mostly played tackle, both left and right, but he did start 16 games at right guard for the Seahawks as a rookie and 10 games at right guard for the Bears in 2020.

Germain Ifedi adds a healthy dose of experience to Detroit Lions offensive line

Behind starting tackles Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell, the Lions lack experience. Matt Nelson got some run at right tackle in 2021, when Decker missed the first part of the season and Sewell shifted to the left side, but he has not played well when he has been called upon. The rest of the 90-man roster has no other tackle with any NFL starts on their resume (Obinna Eze, Darrin Paulo, Connor Galvin, Ryan Swoboda, International Pathways player Max Pircher).

So Ifedi greatly upgrades the experience level there, with some multi-position utility to boot. He can be penciled in for a 53-man roster spot right away.

In a corresponding move to make room for Ifedi on the roster, the Lions announced they have waived undrafted rookie linebacker Isaac Darkangelo.