Detroit Lions · DL RoomDL

#57 Jay Tufele

Exp  5 yrs NFLAge  27Ht / Wt  6'3" · 305 lbCollege  USC

Depth-chart placement

Current role

RDT2

Placement

Backup

Room

Defensive Tackle

Experience

YR 6

Last change

Updated 2026-07-29

View Detroit Lions depth chart →View roster →View formation →

DL room context

View full depth chart →

Jay Tufele holds the RDT · Backup spot in Detroit Lions’s defensive tackle room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

LDT · StarterTyleik WilliamsStarter

RDT · StarterAlim McNeillStarter

LDT · BackupLevi OnwuzurikeBackup

RDT · BackupJay TufeleBackup

Jay Tufele played 12 games in 2025 with a 30% snap share.

Background & career

Jay Tufele is a right defensive tackle for the Detroit Lions standing 6'3" and weighing 305 pounds. The Salt Lake City native played college football at USC before being selected by Jacksonville in the fourth round (106th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft. Tufele enters his sixth season in the league on a one-year contract with Detroit.

USC2017 – 2020

Jaguars2021

Bengals2022 – 2024

Jets2025

Lionspresent

College

USCDraftRound 4 · No. 106 overall · 2021 · JAXAcquiredAcquired from Jacksonville Jaguars · drafted thereHometownSalt Lake City, UT