The dust has settled on the Lions’ draft weekend, but Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes aren’t done yet. The real treasure hunt begins now.
Detroit wrapped up their draft haul but they’ve got roster spots to fill. With 76 players currently on the books and a 90-man limit staring them down, the Lions have room for up to 14 undrafted free agents. That’s a lot of lottery tickets, and this franchise has gotten pretty damn good at finding diamonds in the UDFA rough.
Here’s where it gets messy though. UDFA tracking is part art, part guesswork, and part wishful thinking. Players flip commitments faster than you can refresh Twitter. Sometimes what gets reported as a signing is really just a minicamp invite that got lost in translation.
Making things even murkier? The Lions aren’t holding a rookie minicamp this year. So if these guys don’t ink actual contracts, their path to Allen Park gets a whole lot hazier.
Current UDFA Haul
The early returns show Detroit casting a wide net. They’ve reportedly brought in quarterback Luke Altmyer from Illinois, because you can never have too many arms in camp. Miles Kitselman, the tight end out of Tennessee, joins a position group that could use some depth behind the established guys.
The offensive line gets reinforcement with Illinois guard Melvin Priestly. Not exactly a household name, but Brad Holmes has turned unknown linemen into contributors before.
On defense, the Lions are loading up on pass rushers. Eric O’Neill from Rutgers and Anthony Lucas from USC both got the call. Edge rusher depth never hurt anyone, especially when you’re trying to keep that defensive improvement rolling.
Morgan State linebacker Erick Hunter and USF cornerback De’Shawn Rucker round out the early haul. Seven names so far, but remember, nothing’s official until the team says it’s official.
The Waiting Game
This list will keep growing throughout the weekend. Names trickle in at all hours, commitments change, and sometimes guys just disappear entirely. It’s organized chaos, but it’s Lions chaos, and that’s been working pretty well lately.
The beauty of UDFA season is you never know who might stick. Every Super Bowl team has guys who started as long shots. Some of these names might be playing meaningful snaps in Honolulu Blue before you know it.
Think we found any hidden gems in this UDFA class, or are we just collecting camp bodies? Drop your predictions below.
I’m really digging what Holmes is doing here. The fact that he’s willing to take shots on guys like Altmyer and these edge rushers shows he’s not just settling for camp bodies. Remember when the Lions front office used to phone it in on this stuff? Campbell and Holmes actually believe these guys can help.
Hold up though, no rookie minicamp this year? That’s a weird move and honestly makes it harder for these UDFAs to prove themselves. I get what they’re doing with the roster spots but I’d like to see how these guys actually perform before getting too hyped about them.
This is so different from what we used to see, man. The old regime would just grab names out of a hat. Now you got Holmes and Campbell actually thinking strategically about where the depth holes are. The tight end spot, the edge rush help, the O-line depth? That’s not random, that’s a plan.
Kitselman at tight end is a sneaky good grab. We needed bodies there and Tennessee had some solid talent last year. Holmes has a track record of finding guys who can contribute, so I’m betting at least 2-3 of these seven actually make the team.