The Detroit Lions have added more size to the defensive front, bringing former Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jeffrey M'Ba onto the practice squad.
Multiple reports first identified the move, and because M'Ba was designated in the league’s International Pathways Program, he becomes the 17th player on Detroit’s practice squad.
M'Ba is 27 and stands 6-foot-6. His college path ran through Independence, Auburn, Purdue and SMU, and his final season with the Mustangs was his most productive. He finished with 42 tackles, including 16 solo stops, along with five sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss.
His NFL journey has moved quickly. M'Ba went undrafted in 2026, then signed with Washington as an undrafted free agent. He didn’t crack the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster after training camp, but he did circle back to their practice squad before being released.
Detroit’s need for another body up front makes sense with Tyleik Williams dealing with a foot injury, and the Lions are clearly looking to keep the defensive line stocked as practice ramps up.
The move comes after defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard praised the work of the front seven against the Carolina Panthers. Detroit’s defensive line picked up three sacks and spent much of the night harassing Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.
Sheppard also made clear the rest of the defense has not matched that standard.
"I told them and I told the D-line, 'It's a disservice what we've been doing to you all.' I truly feel like this is the best D-line we've had in my six-year tenure here since I got here in 2021," said Sheppaed.
"And we haven't been complementing it well enough on the backend to see the benefits of it and be outright beneficiaries is what they should be with what the D-line is doing, especially Sunday night. They assaulted the pocket all night.
They generated pressure all night on the quarterback.
"But as you saw, the quarterback was able to get the ball out with the quick release and get it completed far too many times. So, there are things we've corrected, there are things we've talked about going into another tall task this week against Arizona and (Cardinals Head Coach Mike) LaFleur coming from the LA Rams."
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