The Lions should strongly consider a reunion with one of their former defensive lineman to help with depth
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The Lions should strongly consider a reunion with one of their former defensive lineman to help with depth
Sep 24, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) gets sacked by Detroit Lions defensive tackle Benito Jones (94) in the first quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Mike Payton
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2 min read
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TheLionscould use some nose tackle depth, and a good guy to reach out to is someone who's already done that pretty well for them.
Earlier on Thursday, we talked about how theDetroit Lionsare pretty set at edge, but where they could really use some help was on the interior of their defensive line.
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We also talked about how there really isn't a very big market for interior linemen that the Lions would either want to sign or would be willing to spend money on. But there is one guy out there who makes a lot of sense for the Lions because we've seen him make sense for them before.
The Lions should consider bringing backBenito Jones
Jones was with the Lions in 2022 and 2023 and started during the 2023 season. He played well as a run-stuffing nose tackle or a space eater on pass rush reps. He didn't take anyone's breath away, but he was reliable for the most part.
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Since leavingDetroit, Jones spent the last two seasons with theMiami Dolphinsas a starter and/or rotational defensive tackle. In 2025, he was more of a rotational guy, but played fairly well in terms of run defense.
The suggestion here isn't that the Lions bring in Jones to start. They're set with the starters in the middle with bothAlim McNeilland last year's first-round pickTyleik Williams.
Jones would be that rotational guy with rookie Skyler Gill-Howard. You can bring him in on early downs to help stuff the run and then bring in Gill-Howard for your pass rushing reps.
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I'm not sure the Lions have that at this moment. There'sMyles Adams, whom the Lions have shown some faith in before. But that's about it. EvenLevi Onwuzurikewould really be more of a pass-rush option than anything else if he's healthy. Theoretically,Jay Tufelecould play this round, but Jones could beat him out. It's worth thinking about if you're Brad Holmes
