:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/59728725/858761938.jpg.0.jpg)
Rookie minicamp isn’t just a place for the Detroit Lions to get to know their latest draft picks. It’s also an opportunity for a ton of undrafted players to show they belong on an NFL roster. In addition to the 16 undrafted rookies the Lions signed last week, the Lions invited several others to participate in rookie minicamp on a tryout basis.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com, three such players made enough of an impression to get signed by the team: wide receiver Deontez Alexander, cornerback Josh Okonye and tight end Marcus Lewis.
Alexander comes from Franklin College, a school so small that Pelissero says the Lions “had no real game tape on him, but saw clips online.” At Ball State’s Pro Day, Alexander ran a blazing-fast 4.36 40-yard dash and had an impressive 37.5-inch vertical leap. Last year with Franklin, Alexander pulled in 50 catches for 1,137 yards and 18 touchdown.
Look at this kid’s RAS:
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/10837245/alexander_RAS.jpg)
Cornerback Josh Okonye comes from Purdue, where he played his senior year after transferring from Wake Forest. Though he did not record an interception during his college years, he did finish with an impressive 10 pass breakups in his only year with the Boilermakers.
As for Marcus Lewis... I have nothing. There’s no information about this person readily available. No college. No profile. No RAS. Nothing. We’ll update if we find anything. It’s possible Pelissero got the name or position wrong.
UPDATE: The Lions made these signings official, and it’s Marcus Lucas, not lewis. Lucas has been around the NFL since 2014, as an undrafted player out of Missouri. He has been on the practice squads of the Raiders and Colts in recent year. He has yet to appear in a regular season game, but pulled in three catches for 27 yards last preseason with the Seahawks.
The Lions entered Monday with only one spot open on the roster, sitting at 89 players of 90 allotted roster spots. That means in order to fit these three players on the roster, the Lions will have to release at least two players. These signings are yet to be official, so we’ll see if the Lions announce the moves, along with their corresponding cuts later in the day.
UPDATE: To make room for these signings the Lions have waived-injured TE Brandon Barnes and cut WR Kyle Lewis.