Lions Dive Into UDFA Pool With Two Early Signings
The draft is done, but the weekend is far from over in Allen Park. The Lions have their 2026 draft class locked in, but now comes the real treasure hunt. Undrafted free agents, or UDFAs for those keeping score at home, are about to flood the market.
And yes, I know what you’re thinking. This is where Brad Holmes has found some gems before. This is where depth gets built and where someone nobody saw coming suddenly becomes a special teams ace or a practice squad darling who works their way up.
The math works in Detroit’s favor here. They’ve got 76 players on the roster right now, including this year’s draft picks. The NFL max sits at 90, which means there’s room for up to 14 UDFAs over the next few days. That’s a lot of lottery tickets.
Early UDFA Signings Rolling In
Two names have already surfaced as reported Lions signings. Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman and USF cornerback De’Shawn Rucker are both being linked to Detroit, though nothing is official yet.
Here’s the thing about these early reports. They change. Players flip commitments. Sometimes what gets reported as a signing is actually just a minicamp invite that got lost in translation. The Lions aren’t even holding a rookie minicamp this year, which makes things even murkier for these guys trying to earn a spot.
So take these names with the appropriate grain of salt until the team makes it official, which usually takes a few days anyway.
The UDFA Game Never Stops
This is where roster building gets interesting. These aren’t the sexy picks that get the headlines during draft weekend. These are the long shots, the guys who didn’t hear their names called but still believe they belong in the NFL.
Some will wash out before training camp even starts. Others will stick around just long enough to make you wonder what if. And every now and then, one breaks through and becomes part of the story.
Names will keep trickling in throughout the weekend, so this list is going to grow. The Lions have room to take some swings, and knowing this front office, they’re going to take every single one of them.
Think these UDFA signings actually matter or are we just filling out camp bodies? Let me know which long shot you’re rooting for in the comments.
I love this part of the offseason. You never know who’s gonna surprise you and stick around. Brad Holmes has shown he knows how to find guys who can contribute, so I’m excited to see what happens with Kitselman and Rucker. The fact that we got 14 spots to fill means we can actually take some real shots here.
Look, I get hyped about UDFAs too but let’s be real – most of these guys don’t make it past August. I’ve seen this movie a hundred times. Maybe one or two stick around and become depth pieces, but calling them season changers feels like we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.