92 Sylvester Williams DT

Williams signed a contract with the Lions on Wednesday.

The Lions needed help at defensive tackle after failing to re-sign veteran Haloti Ngata, who was a critical piece of the Detroit run defense the last three years. Williams should be in the mix to compete for the starting job Ngata left behind, where his current competition only seems to be Akeem Spence. However, there's certainly a chance the team adds more talent at defensive tackle through the draft or free agency.

Williams was released by the Titans on Saturday, Paul Kuharsky of 104.5 The Zone Nashville reports.

Signed to a three-year, $16.5 million contract last offseason, Williams made 11 starts in 15 games for the Titans, recording 20 tackles without a sack on 349 defensive snaps. The 2013 first-round pick has never lived up to his draft status, finishing with 29 or fewer tackles and three or fewer sacks in each of his five NFL seasons, despite playing at least 13 games each year. Williams will look to catch on elsewhere as a rotational lineman for early downs, while Austin Johnson could take on more snaps in Tennessee.