Getty Head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions re-signed Chris Smith to the practice squad on January 17.
Defensive lineman Chris Smith is returning to the Detroit Lions for a third stint this season.
The Lions announced on January 17 that they have signed Smith to their practice squad.
Smith, who was an undrafted free agent in 2023, began the regular season on the Lions practice squad. The Lions released Smith, who is also a Detroit native, on September 20.
Detroit re-signed Smith to its practice squad on December 13. The Lions released him a second time on December 29.
Smith will provide insurance as a defensive line run defender specialist as the Lions head into their NFC divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 21.
Detroit Lions Add Chris Smith to Practice Squad for Third Time
It’s highly unlikely that Smith will see game action during the postseason. He has yet to make his NFL debut outside of the preseason.
But it’s never a bad idea to add an insurance policy already familiar to the team.
Smith played his final college season at Notre Dame after transferring from Harvard. He posted 17 total tackles, 1 forced fumble and 0.5 tackles for loss as a graduate senior for the Fighting Irish in 2022.
During 2021, Smith made first-team All-Ivy League with Harvard. He played four seasons with the Crimson.
After the NFL draft, the Lions signed Smith as one of their undrafted free agents. Upon his signing, USA Today’s Lions’ Wire’s Jeff Risdon touted Smith for his tackling ability.
“His best quality is his ability to finish under control and with power,” Risdon wrote on May 20. “Notre Dame didn’t log him for a single missed tackle, and in his three seasons at Harvard the Crimson had Smith for just one missed tackle. He wraps well and uses his reach to corral ball carriers and occasionally the opposing QB (5.5 sacks in 42 career college games).”
What Could Chris Smith Provide for Lions
Again, Smith is merely a deep insurance policy and perhaps a player the Lions brought back so he could spend the upcoming offseason with the team.
In addition to his strong tackling ability, Smith gives Detroit another good run defender. SB Nation’s Erik Schlitt called Smith “compact and stout” in his evaluation of the undrafted free agent 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,” Schlitt wrote. “Hopefully, he will use his time on the practice squad to round out his skills.”
The Lions have dramatically improved against the run this season. In 2022, Detroit was ranked in the bottom five in rushing yards allowed and yards allowed per carry.
But this past season, the Lions finished second in rushing yards yielded and third in yards permitted per carry.
This upcoming offseason, the Lions will likely make a lot of moves on defense to improve the team’s pass rush and passing defense. Smith won’t likely help in those areas, but assuming he stays with the team in the offseason, he could be an asset to keep Detroit’s run defense elite in 2024.
As for this week, the Lions will host the Buccaneers on January 21. Kickoff is at 3 pm ET.