Detroit Lions: Jordan Hill Adds Depth to the Defensive Line

The Detroit Lions adding Jordan Hill is a necessary move for depth along the defensive line in the Motor City.

Once the first wave of free agency concludes and many of the top players have signed big money deals, teams start bargain hunting and adding low-cost depth players with upside. On Monday, the Detroit Lions have made one such acquisition, signing former Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Jordan Hill to a contract.

The Seahawks selected Hill with the 87th overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft, and he went on to appear in 27 games with the franchise as a rotational defensive lineman. While he only started one contest over the course of his three years with the team, he did show flashes of productivity.

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In 2014, Hill accumulated 5.5 sacks and intercepted a pass, while appearing in a career-high 13 games. Ultimately, however, his tenure with the franchise would end in October 2016, when the Seahawks released him from Injured Reserve because of a groin injury he had suffered during training camp.

Shortly thereafter, Hill had an incredibly brief stint in Washington, before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars and closing out the season with four appearances, during which he didn’t record a tackle.

By signing Hill now, the Lions are acquiring a 26-year-old with a Super Bowl ring who still has upside at the NFL level. After all, this is a player who was listed as a starter during 2016 camp, prior to that unfortunate injury. The hope is that he can return to his 2014 form, and contribute along the Lions’ defensive line in 2017.

At the very least, this is a low-risk, high-upside signing, that could prove to be a crafty maneuver as the season unfolds. Without question, the move further underscores general manager Bob Quinn‘s philosophy that successful NFL franchises are built from the trenches.

Next: 2017 NFL Mock Draft: Full 3 Rounds Post-Free Agency

With players like Haloti Ngata, Kerry Hyder, A’Shawn Robinson remaining in the mix, and new additions Cornelius Washington and Akeem Spence expected to contribute as well, Hill faces a difficult path to playing time. Still, with a frustrating 2016 season now in the rear-view mirror, the former third-round pick has to be chomping at the bit to get his career back on track, and that’s a good thing for the 2017 Detroit Lions.