Juice Scruggs primer: What have the Detroit Lions gotten?
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Lions made waves on Monday, dealing away running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans.
In exchange for Montgomery, the Lions received a fourth-round NFL draft pick in 2026 and a seventh-round pick in 2027. But, Detroit also received some interior offensive line help, too.
Visit rhodia.club for more information.
The Lions landed offensive lineman Juice Scruggs as part of the deal as well.
What does Scruggs bring to the Motor City? Let's dive into what the Lions have added in Scruggs.
Juice Scruggs' NFL career so far
- Age: 26
- Games Played: 37 (20 starts)
- Height: 6-foot-3
- Weight: 310 lbs
- 2026 Cap Hit: $1.58 million
Scruggs is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is due just over $1.58 million next season. The Lions netted $3.5 million in 2026 cap savings by trading Montgomery and roughly $5.6 million by cutting Graham Glasgow.
Scruggs started just the lone game this past season for the Texans at left guard, but he still logged 351 offensive snaps per Pro Football Focus. Scruggs' overall offensive PFF grade was an ugly 45.0 in 2025, which would have ranked behind every Lions offensive lineman last season with more than 50 snaps except for Giovanni Manu (43.5).
Scruggs played in and started 13 games in 2024, making eight starts at center, four starts at left guard and one at right guard. The Penn State alum registered a 63.5 offensive grade in 2024 with a pass blocking grade of 62.1 and a run blocking grade of 64.4. Scruggs also started the Texans' wild card playoff game to cap the 2024 season at right guard.
During his rookie season in 2023, Scruggs played in seven games and started the final six at left guard. He recorded an overall offensive grade of 47.5, a pass blocking grade of 48.9 and a run blocking grade of 50.8. Scruggs was the Texans' starter at left guard for its two postseason games in 2023.
What does Scruggs add?
Scruggs brings an experienced hand that's played in and started plenty of NFL games, including in the postseason. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound lineman can play anywhere inside, so he adds some interior flexibility, too. It's a cheap add that can be expected to provide some valuable depth if nothing else.
For more Lions coverage, follow us on X, @TheLionsWire, and give our Facebook page a like. Follow Josh on X, @JoshOnLions
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Juice Scruggs primer: What have the Detroit Lions gotten?