The NFL choose is more than just choosing which players to choose. Frequently, athletes who were not picked play a significant impact in the composition of the roster.
Some positions were viewed as safe landing areas for rookie draft picks after countless mock drafts. Instead, these roles may have gone ignored throughout the selection. This might create new possibilities for returning players while also offering a sense of security for those on the bubble.
On Monday, we discussed six Detroit Lions players with a lot to prove after the 2024 NFL Draft. Today, we’ll look at the players that quietly benefited from the Lions’ draft class.
Antoine Green, WR
The Lions moved away from the draft without adding a receiver to their roster. They signed two undrafted free agents, Isaiah Williams and Jalon Calhoun, but the roster is largely unchanged from the free agency period that saw them lose Josh Reynolds to the Denver Broncos. Though a free agency signing may occur in the coming weeks, I believe Antoine Green has benefited the most.
Green, the 2023 seventh-round pick, had little play in his rookie season, but if the aforementioned signing does not happen, he could be in line for a larger role. Amon-Ra St. Brown will be the top offensive target, and Jameson Williams’ role will most certainly rise as he enters his third season, but the depth pieces are unclear. Kalif Raymond is a spark plug on the field, but his size keeps him from being a replacement for Reynolds. Donovan Peoples-Jones was brought back for another look after being acquired in a trade, but with only 58 receiving yards since joining Detroit, he is unlikely to slot into the WR3 role.
Green has the size (6-foot-2 and 200 pounds) and speed (4.47 40-yard dash) to be a weapon on the Lions offense. The onus is on him to earn that spot.
Josh Paschal, DE
Although the Lions signed Marcus Davenport, there was still an opportunity to upgrade the pass rush in the draft. Josh Paschal and John Cominsky were among the myriad of players rotating in and out across from Aidan Hutchinson to mixed success. They were worth having on the roster, but their play was far from level needed to truly complement Hutchinson.
Detroit came away from the draft without a defensive end, perhaps a vote of confidence for their former second rounder. The Lions did draft a defensive lineman with pass rushing pop in Mekhi Wingo, but he will likely challenge Levi Onwuzurike for a spot, not one of these outside edge defenders.
Paschal and Cominsky were co-starters in 2023, but I believe Paschal has an advantage heading into next season due to a progressively growing snap count down the line. Cominsky also took a wage reduction this offseason, indicating that the Lions like him, but not very much. Given that Davenport is coming off an injury, he may not be an 800-plus snap defender. In that case, I believe Paschal might be the first player off the bench.
James Houston and Mathieu Betts, OLB
Speaking of pass rushers, the Lions’ lack of action on draft day is good news for James Houston and Mathieu Betts. Houston and Betts are the frontrunners for the pass rushing linebacker spot on defense in wake of Julian Okwara’s departure. It may not be a sizable role, however, so it could very well be a singular spot to be had between the two.
Houston exploded onto the scene as a rookie, but his follow-up season was slowed with injury. Even prior to his injury, he was lower on the depth chart than many would have expected. Yet that rookie season still looms large, and if the Lions can get even a fraction of that production, it would be significant.
Betts, meanwhile, joins the Lions after a 18-sack campaign with the Canadian Football League’s BC Lions. While that sack total is impressive, it also came against lesser CFL tackles. Additionally, Betts has little experience at linebacker, so the occasional drops into coverage could prove to be a steep learning curve.
Unless undrafted edge defenders Isaac Ukwu or Nate Lynn impress in training camp, at least one of Houston or Betts should be destined for the final roster.
Brandon Joseph, S
Regardless of Sione Vaki’s pick, I cited safety as a vital requirement after the draft. The Lions still need safety help, even though Vaki is expected to play offensive first. Brandon Joseph is the lone returning non-starting safety from 2023, and given that the only signings so far have been a few undrafted rookies, Joseph’s chances look promising.
Kerby Joseph, Ifeatu Melifonwu, and Brian Branch are entrenched as the starters on defense, but Joseph could sneak his way onto the roster. The Lions lost C.J. Gardner-Johnson and released Tracy Walker, so there is an opening for a least one safety spot. Joseph stuck around all of 2023 on the practice squad before signing a futures deal. That is as much of a vote of confidence as you can get for a practice squad player.
The Lions seem destined for a free agent signing, but that might not be a disaster for Joseph if he can demonstrate some special teams ability. Joseph’s status as a player who went undrafted in 2023 means he could easily be bumped off the roster, but he at least has a year under his belt. Will that be enough of an edge?
Michael Badgley, K
Drafting a kicker is not a proposition often liked by fans, but the Lions were in a position where such a move would have been welcomed. Michael Badgley had reclaimed the starting spot from Riley Patterson, but a lack of leg strength had hampered the Lions offense. An upgrade via the draft was more than possible, but by the end of the seventh round, Badgley remained the only kicker on the team.
The Lions are allegedly signing Michigan product James Turner as an undrafted free agent, but I doubt he will challenge Badgley for the starting job. Many of the best kickers in the NFL went undrafted, but Turner has many of the same issues as Badgley does. His longest successful kick in college was 50 yards, and that little distance means he’ll need an extremely accurate training camp to beat Badgley—or a disastrous camp from the veteran.
If the Lions had drafted or signed a strong-legged kicker, I believe Badgley’s job would have been jeopardized. Instead, he appears to be the clear favorite heading into training camp. That being said, the UFL season is about to end, therefore Jake Bates could be available for Detroit. Stay tuned.
