Getty Head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions signed former undrafted free agent defensive tackle Chris Smith on December 13.
The Detroit Lions had a sudden vacancy on their practice squad on December 13. The Lions announced they filled that void with defensive tackle Chris Smith.
“Lions have re-signed DL Chris Smith to the practice squad,” the Lions official X (formerly Twitter) account posted.
#Lions have re-signed DL Chris Smith to the Practice Squad.
The Lions signed Smith to their original practice squad to begin the season. Following that move, SB Nation’s Erik Schlitt described Smith as a “compact and stout” defensive tackle.
Smith remained on the practice squad until Detroit released him on September 20.
He is replacing defensive lineman Quinton Bohanna, who the Tennessee Titans signed to their active roster on December 13. Bohanna had been on Detroit’s practice squad since August 31.
Detroit Lions Re-Sign DL Chris Smith
Losing a player that’s been on the team’s practice squad for months this late in the season is tough. But the Lions were able to bring back a player who had spent about a month on the team’s practice squad to replace Bohanna.
If not for his pass rushing weakness, it’s possible Smith would be on an NFL roster.
“Undrafted out of Notre Dame, Smith found himself near the end of the Lions’ interior defensive line during training camp,” Schlitt wrote on August 31. “Smith is compact and stout which makes him a solid run defender but doesn’t offer much as a pass rusher at this time.”
Smith offered the same set of skills at Notre Dame. He posted 17 total tackles, 1 forced fumble and 0.5 tackles for loss with zero sacks as a graduate senior in 2022.
Prior to Notre Dame, Smith spent four years at Harvard. He made first-team All-Ivy League during 2021.
This past spring, Smith went undrafted and then signed with the Lions as an undrafted free agent on April 29.
Lions Lose Quinton Bohanna to Tennessee Titans
Smith returns to Detroit as a replacement for Bohanna, who the Titans poached off the Lions practice squad on December 13.
Despite not being on the active roster, Bohanna is a significant loss for the Lions. Not only had he been with the team since training camp, but he played in three games for Detroit this season.
In fact, he started two of those three contests. Bohanna recorded 6 combined tackles, including 2 tackles for loss while playing 73 defensive snaps for Detroit in 2023.
AtoZ Sports’ Mike Payton projected the Lions to sign Bohanna to their active roster when they placed fellow defensive tackle Alim McNeill on injured reserve with a knee issue. But instead, the Lions signed cornerback Kindle Vildor to the active roster.
That left Bohanna exposed if another NFL team wanted to add him to their active roster.
Bohanna started his NFL career as a sixth-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL draft. In 27 games for the Cowboys from 2021-22, he posted 29 combined tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 quarterback hit.
At a minimum, McNeill will miss three more games. Smith is a candidate to be a practice squad elevation on game days for the next three weeks, as is veteran defensive tackle Tyson Alualu. The Lions signed Alualu to their practice squad on December 5.
The Lions have defensive tackles Benito Jones, Levi Onwuzurike, Isaiah Buggs, and Brodric Martin on their active roster.
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Lions Bring Back ‘Compact and Stout’ Run Defender