The Detroit Lions have seen some intriguing performances play out during the preseason and training camp so far, and one of the most interesting options coming along is defensive back AJ Parker.
This past offseason, the Lions picked Parker up off the undrafted free agency wire, and at the time, he was little-known. With a pair of solid preseason games under his belt and great work happening during camp, however, that has changed in a major way for the team.
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As Chris Burke of The Athletic tweeted, he believes that Parker could be on the brink of nailing down a roster spot with the team, perhaps even being able to land a starting role with the team.
AJ Parker was all over that route on the Barnes near-pick, too — did a great job dodging traffic over the middle. Feels like he’s on the brink of locking up a roster spot (and maybe a starting job).
In Week 2 of the preseason, Parker was solid again, leading the Lions in tackles with 8 while also having 1 pass defended on the night. He was a sure-tackler for the team, which is something that the Lions have missed the last few seasons on their defense.
Detroit has seen other undrafted free agents crack their roster on defense in recent years, and most notably could be Mike Ford, who is pushing for a big role this year. Parker could be the next player who is able to get that done considering where he is trending right now. Suddenly, he’s becoming harder for everyone to ignore with every solid play and rep on the field.
AJ Parker Feels Camp Going Well With Lions
While Parker might not be a big name entering camp, he has made a name for himself with solid play. Speaking with the media after camp practice in an interview posted to DetroitLions.com, Parker admitted some major comfort he is experiencing with his new team, staff and city.
“I feel like camp is going well for me, I’m learning well under coach (Aubrey) Pleasant, coach Aaron Glenn. I’m loving it here in Detroit. The coaching staff is amazing, the players are amazing. I’m just enjoying my time here right now,” he said.
The Lions themselves have shown some faith in Parker, routinely running him against better players and allowing him to take plenty of snaps. That was on display in both preseason games, and Parker has appreciated the chance to improve against some of the bigger names as an underrated talent.
“It’s incredibly valuable to get reps against the ones, just getting that game speed and getting the ones talent and comparing my own against that,” Parker told the media. “In college I played a lot of nickel, I played sophomore and senior year. The nickel spot’s familiar to me, so getting in there and learning the defense and tuning my abilities to fit this defense.”
So far, it looks as if that work is helping Parker as he continues his quest to win an NFL job.
Parker’s College Stats and Highlights
In college playing for Kansas State, Parker put up very solid statistics for the Wildcats. In four full seasons, Parker collected 145 tackles, 6 interceptions, 17 passes defended and 1 touchdown. Those numbers were solid, but may not have caught much attention around the league in the pre-draft process, perhaps leading him to be overlooked over the weekend.
When watching the tape, Parker shows some good instincts and the skills to perhaps be an intriguing player for the team.
Everyone else’s loss could end up being Detroit’s gain in the end, and Parker might be closing in on making his dreams a reality after some solid work on the field.
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Solid UDFA May Be ‘on the Verge’ of Locking up Lions’ Roster Spot