Lions undrafted free agents: Martavius Neloms scouting report

Our scouting report series continues with the Detroit Lions' 2013 undrafted free agents. Next up is Martavius Neloms.

S Martavius Neloms (Kentucky) - UDFA

The lone undrafted defensive back the Detroit Lions signed this year is Kentucky's Martavius Neloms. He is slated to play safety for the Lions after spending four years with the Wildcats in the SEC.

Random fact

Neloms was teammates with Lions third-round pick Larry Warford in college at Kentucky.

What the experts are saying

SI.com:

Neloms is a well-seasoned member of the secondary for the Wildcats. He played at corner in his first 2 seasons, switched to safety as a junior and moved back to corner as a senior. He has an undersized build with some growth potential to further develop for the position at the NFL level. He is a solid overall athlete with good speed and range in his play. He is very quick to get his depth, and then break forward once the quarterback delivers the ball. He takes consistent angles to the ball in the air. He does a decent job of maintaining good coverage position downfield, but he doesn't look confident at times, perhaps due to the position switching. He projects the ability to be a solid coverage player against a tight end because of his height. In run support, he is fast to close and physical on contact. He is a very good open field tackler on the move. He plays bigger than his listed size in attacking the run. He is very aggressive and quick to react to bubble screens on the perimeter as well.

Stats

2009: 14 tackles, 1 pass defended

2010: 55 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 2 passes defended, 1 forced fumble

2011: 71 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, 1 INT, 6 passes defended, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, 1 TD

2012: 53 tackles, 1.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 pass defended, 2 forced fumbles

Videos

Outlook for 2013

The Lions have a lot of depth at safety. Behind starters Louis Delmas and Glover Quin are Don Carey, John Wendling, Amari Spievey, Ricardo Silva and Tyrell Johnson. As a result, Neloms faces long odds when it comes to making the 53-man roster. His best bet at sticking around will be by making the practice squad.

Previous scouting reports:

Draft picks: DE Ezekiel Ansah, CB Darius Slay, OG Larry Warford, DE Devin Taylor, P Sam Martin, WR Corey Fuller, RB Theo Riddick, TE Michael Williams

UDFAs: QB Alex Carder, RB Steven Miller, WR Cody Wilson, TE Joseph Fauria, OT Austin Holtz, OT LaAdrian Waddle, OG Darren Keyton, DE Freddie Bishop, LB Jon Morgan, LB Alex Elkins