The Detroit Lions are not waiting until kickoff to address their suddenly thin offensive line.

Just hours before Thursday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, Detroit announced three roster moves: defensive lineman Levi Onwuzurike has been signed from the practice squad to the active roster, while offensive tackle Devin Cochran and center Seth McLaughlin have been elevated from the practice squad to the Active/Inactive list.

The Lions’ official transaction history confirms the latest movement as Detroit prepares for an 8:15 p.m. kickoff in Buffalo.

The moves are not especially difficult to decode.

Detroit is missing two starting offensive linemen Thursday night.

Lions Add Immediate Offensive Line Insurance

Starting left guard Christian Mahogany and rookie right tackle Blake Miller have both been ruled out, forcing Detroit to reshuffle the line protecting Jared Goff.

We broke down the severity of the situation when the Lions released their final Week 2 injury report.

Cochran provides another tackle option behind likely starter Larry Borom, while McLaughlin gives Detroit additional interior flexibility. The two elevations also help the Lions satisfy the offensive-line numbers needed to maximize their game-day active roster.

In other words, the emergency depth chart is officially being activated.

Levi Onwuzurike Is Back on the 53

Onwuzurike’s move is permanent rather than a one-game elevation.

Detroit surprisingly released the veteran defensive lineman last week before bringing him back on the practice squad. We covered that sequence when the Lions re-signed Onwuzurike ahead of Week 1.

Now he is back where he started, on the active roster.

Detroit enters Thursday night already dealing with significant injury concerns. These moves will not replace Mahogany or Miller.

They do, however, give Dan Campbell a few more options before trying to survive a short-week road game against Buffalo.

And considering the condition of Detroit’s offensive line, options are pretty valuable right now.