Lions sign veteran DE and elevate two from practice squad for Week 7

The Detroit Lions made some roster enhancements ahead of Sunday’s Week 7 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.

Most notably, the Lions signed veteran defensive end Pat O’Connor from the team’s practice squad to the active 53-man roster. O’Connor will make his Detroit debut seven years after being a seventh-round pick by the Lions in the 2017 NFL Draft.

The Eastern Michigan product didn’t make the Lions team that year, but worked his way into a lengthy stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit brought him back over the summer and he’s been on the Lions practice squad all season. At 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, O’Connor fits the size desired by the Lions on the edge to help replace injured Marcus Davenport and Aidan Hutchinson.

The Lions also promoted two practice squad players for the game. Tight end Shane Zylstra and EDGE Isaac Ukwu were both elevated. It’s the second week in a row Ukwu, an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss, has been elevated. Zylstra has not played in a game since 2022 after suffering a serious injury in 2023 training camp.

The Lions already have three active TEs on the roster, so Zylstra’s elevation is something of a surprise. With DT Kyle Peko lost for the season, there was some expectation the Lions would elevate DT Chris Smith for this game against the Vikings.