Two Players NFL Writers Think Lions Should Add to Roster

Could the Detroit Lions bolster their defensive line before training camp?

The Detroit Lions seem to be satisfied with the current state of their roster, at least heading into training camp. 

But, two NFL writers have listed players Detroit should consider targeting, ahead of the start of training camp. 

AtoZSports wondered in their latest piece why defensive lineman Yannick Ngakoue was still available via free agency. 

"There really hasn't been much public that makes me think that Ngakoue is a problem child outside of being moved a few times. I don't think that's a deal breaker for the Lions anyway," writes Mike Payton. "They want guys that want to play football and having a little bit of an edge doesn't hurt.

"The pairing just makes too much sense. The Lions are an up and coming team that has stability. Which is something Ngakoue is reportedly interested in. They also have a young running mate for him, so he's not going to be asked to do all the work. I think the Lions should look into this."

Detroit does have a healthy amount of young defensive line talent, so while the talent is there, multiple NFL teams have passed on adding the 28-year-old to their roster. 

Nhgakoue has had stints for four different NFL teams in the past three seasons. 

Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis has been the subject of trade rumors since the end of OTAs. 

CBS Sports explored five potential landing spots for the inexperienced quarterback, if the Titans decided to move on. The Lions were among the teams discussed. 

As Chris Trapasso explained, "Willis wouldn't pose an immediate, 2023 threat to Goff's starting gig, and sure, his presence would take away some of Hooker's practice reps, but the competition he'd provide (Hendon) Hooker would likely bring out the best in both quarterbacks."

While adding Willis would be quite surprising, the team is still heavily invested in the development of the former Volunteers signal-caller. 

Trapasso indicates that working with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson could unlock talents that have yet to be displayed in Tennessee. 

"Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is a progressive mind who, in theory, could even work Willis into the offense in a sub-package, gadget-type weapon. And Willis' talents clearly jibe with what Detroit wants offensively -- to be more explosive. Back-to-back first-round selections of wideout Jameson Williams and Jahmyr Gibbs prove that."