The Lions have added another former first-round pick to their defensive line.
Longtime defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, who spent the past six seasons with the Steelers, has signed with Detroit, according to his agent. The 13-year vet was drafted 10th overall by the Jaguars in 2010.
The move comes amid a possible absence for Detroit's top defensive tackle Alim McNeill, who was injured in last week's win over the Saints and could miss time, per head coach Dan Campbell.
Alualu played in all 17 games last season for the Steelers, finishing with 13 tackles and a half-sack in about a quarter of the team's defensive snaps. He missed most of the 2021 season with a fractured ankle, but was a starter for the Steelers in 2020.
A space-eater at 6'3, 305 lbs., Alualu will start on the Lions practice squad to get up to speed. The Lions did the same thing with Bruce Irvin, the veteran pass rusher and former first-round pick who joined the team last month.
Irvin, like Alualu, hadn't played in a game since last season. He made his Lions debut last week and posted a sack and two quarterback pressures in just 11 defensive snaps in the team's 33-28 win in New Orleans.