‘Mountain’ Defensive Lineman to Join Lions’ Active Roster.

reserve, the Detroit Lions have a big hole at defensive line. However, an insider predicts they will make up some of the difference by signiAfter starting defensive lineman Alim McNeill was placed on injuredng a player who stands out on the practice squad and is referred to as a “mountain.”

Following his sprained knee in the team’s victory over the New Orleans Saints on December 3, McNeill’s injury was revealed by the team on Tuesday, and he was placed on injured reserve. McNeill’s injury will keep him out of the game for at least the next four weeks, which is a major setback for a defense already beset by injuries. McNeill was having a career-best season, totaling 31 tackles and five sacks.

However, in order to add some veteran depth, Mike Payton of AtoZ Sports projected that the Lions might soon add Quinton Bohanna to the active roster.

Bohanna has played 20 or more snaps in each of the last three games, as noted by Payton, and has been elevated by the Lions. If the team hopes to use Bohanna again this season, they will have to sign him to the active roster as they have already used up their allotted three practice squad elevations.

“Three regular season games and two starts in a row would lead you to believe that some trust has grown there and that the Lions want to maybe keep seeing where this goes,” Payton wrote. “Especially with McNeill out for at least the next four games. If they want Bohanna to play, they’re going to have to sign him to the active roster.

Payton noted that the Lions could make the move on Saturday, when they must finalize any practice squad elevations and other moves. That will mean another player comes off the active roster, with Payton noting that Steven Gilmore or Chase Lucas could be likely candidates.

The 24-year-old Bohanna came into the NFL in 2021 as a sixth-round pick of the Dallas Cowboys, appearing in 14 games his rookie season with one start. Bohanna’s role grew in his second season, playing in 13 games with nine starts while registering 20 tackles, including three for a loss, and two quarterback pressures.

However, Bohanna was cut from the Dallas preseason roster when the team selected Mazi Smith with the first-round pick and acquired veteran Jonathan Hankins.