Lions Sign OG Ben Bartch
Information sourced from: RAS, Detroit Lions Morning Rounds, PFF
As Brad Holmes recently alluded to, the Lions are not yet done in free agency. You may remember the name Ben Bartch as I highlighted his free agent visit some time ago. The Lions have now agreed to terms with him (albeit contract details are not readily apparent). Since his signing I have done some digging to figure out just what we are getting in our new offensive guard.
I have always trusted PFF evaluation a bit more with linemen than other positions. It seems as though it provides a little bit more accurate data in this regard. Regardless, PFF paints a nice picture of Ben Bartch, slotting him in at a 71.7 overall 2025 Grade (not enough snaps for a full evaluation, but still), and a 74.8 overall 2024 grade. From this perspective he is an upgrade over other players on our line.
From a RAS perspective he did not qualify. RAS did give me the information that he was drafted in the 4th round of 2020 out of Saint Johns, and he entered the league at offensive tackle. He does seem to be plenty athletic, and is young enough to provide upside for the future, that is if he can stay healthy. That brings me to my next point.
While I would not consider him as bad from an injury perspective as the Payton Turner signing, he has a couple of major injuries. I reached out to Jimmy Liao MD of Detroit Lions Morning Rounds to get his take. He provided me with a wealth of information. In 2025 he suffered a high ankle sprain, and had lisfranc surgery that ended his year. Further back, in 2022 he had a dislocated knee. So while I would not personally say he has lost all of his playing time to injury, he is certainly on the more risky side of signings. To quote Dr. Liao “Hope he is healthy, but Lions will protect themselves with very likely the same contract as Payton Turner with $0 [in] guarantees”.
Side Note: If you have not checked out Detroit Lions Morning Rounds with Jimmy Liao MD, you are doing yourself a disservice. Dr. Liao does a great job breaking down player injuries and risk of signings, as well as much more!