Explosive Pass-Rusher, Darkhorse WR Among 5 Lions Primed to Steal Roster Spots

Getty Defensive lineman Bruce Hector celebrates with Alijah Holder during a 2021 Lions preseason game.

While the offseason remains in full swing for the Detroit Lions, it won’t be long until it’s time to start pondering training camp and the start of a brand new season.

With this in mind, thoughts will turn to the Lions roster. It’s a hard time for players who try and scrap to make the roster from the depths of obscurity, but Detroit’s brass has shown they are willing to give anyone a chance within reason who sticks out on the field no matter where they come from or what their age.

Players like cornerbacks AJ Parker and Jerry Jacobs, offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer, and tight end Brock Wright were far under the radar at this point in 2021 but managed to do enough to catch the attention of the team last year and eventually get in the mix at points last season. Their assault for those roles began in the heat of the summer during training camp practices and preseason games.

This year, which players could steal a roster bid for the Lions during the same span? Here’s a look at some names it will be important to remember moving forward once work begins at the end of the month in Allen Park and continues into August.

Bruce Hector, Defensive Line

This time last year, Hector was a largely-unheralded signing by the Lions, but he showed himself in a big way into training camp and through the preseason. Hector managed to stick on the practice squad, saw late action with the team and was a futures signing for Detroit this past offseason. The former undrafted free agent out of USF first cracked the league in 2018.

In college, Hector was very productive as a pass rusher, racking up 90 tackles and 18 sacks. In the NFL, Hector hasn’t gotten as big of a chance to shine, bouncing from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Arizona Cardinals back to the Eagles, to the Carolina Panthers and finally ending up with the Tennessee Titans. In the league, Hector has only collected 7 tackles and 0.5 sacks, but he hasn’t seen much of an opportunity to shine as of yet given his experience level.

In terms of highlights, Hector shows an explosion at the point of attack as seen below.

Last year’s experience could give Hector a leg up in terms of cracking the final 53-man roster this year. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him find a way to crack a deep rotation up front.

Obinna Eze, Offensive Tackle

The Lions handed Eze a major $170,000 signing bonus to come to town, so clearly, Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell and Hank Fraley wanted to get their hands on a player who could figure as a steal given his size and could have the ability to play inside and out in the league. Eze has 6-foot-6 size and plenty of durability, starting games with both Memphis and TCU after transfer.

Eze is a player who has a solid frame and uses his size to his advantage to get good leverage. He may need more strength to make it in the league. It’s a mild surprise he wasn’t drafted, but the Lions offer him a great shot considering all the different linemen they’ve developed and used in recent years.

For this reason, keep him on your radar as he tries to make the team. There’s a chance Eze could grab attention as a depth lineman.

Demetrius Taylor, Defensive Line

Suddenly, the Lions have depth along their defensive line as well, but Taylor could be a player who pushes for a role in Detroit along with his teammate on the offensive side in Sutton.

Physical and tough, Taylor piled up the sacks in college for Appalachian State with an eye-popping 137 tackles, 26.5 sacks, 46 tackles-for-loss and 6 forced fumbles. The tape shows a player capable of making a huge impact, as he was first-team all Sun-Belt the last three years.

Taylor has the goods to be an interesting piece for the Lions. Due to numbers, he may have to wait on the practice squad, but with his possible combination of explosion and power up front, there would be no surprise if he cracks the team.

Kalil Pimpleton, Wide Receiver

It was surprising to see Pimpleton not get drafted in 2022, as he was easily one of the more productive wideouts in the MAC during his three-year career with Central Michigan and potentially worth a late flier pick.

Armed with size as well as excellent and sticky hands, Pimpleton makes life miserable on defensive backs as he often showed in college to the tune of 2,131 yards and 12 touchdowns. Here are some highlights:

Pimpleton would much rather have been competing for a job last year in Lions camp given the lack of explosive wideouts on roster, but he will have a fair chance to earn a role this year if he can show some of the speed and ability to make contested catches that made him a monster in college. His path to a roster spot could start on special teams.

Josh Woods, Linebacker

Last year, Woods was a practice squad swipe from Chicago, and when he did see time in Detroit, he managed to play well with the Lions. Pushed on the roster by an immense need at linebacker due to injury, Woods played a huge role late in 2021, seeing time in six games for the Lions and racking up 28 total tackles. His high water mark was 13 tackles in Week 14 for the team.

This experience, coupled with a possible need at the spot again this year, could push Woods much higher than folks expect right now. While names like Chris Board, Jarrad Davis, Malcolm Rodgriguez and others might make more headlines at the position, Woods could calmly secure a role by going out and continuing to show progress within the team’s defense as he did last year.

It’s a defense he will know and have experience within, which is more than plenty of the other names can say.

There’s no substitute for real-world experience, and Woods has plenty of that to rely on with Detroit last year. That makes him a threat to steal a roster bid on defense and fight for a full-time role in Detroit for 2022.