A former Detroit Lions defensive lineman is looking for a new home after he was waived by last year’s worst team in the NFL.
Brodric Martin started his career with the Detroit Lions, playing two seasons before bouncing around to a trio of teams last season. Martin joined the Las Vegas Raiders near the end of the season, but was cut loose months before having a chance to compete for a roster spot at training camp.
Brodric Martin Hits the Waiver Wire
The Raiders announced that they waived Martin this week, sending the fourth-year NFL player to the waiver wire.
Martin has a light NFL resume, appearing in five total games for the Lions between the 2023 and 2024 seasons and playing exclusively on special teams. He started the 2025 season on the practice squad of the Kansas City Chiefs but was poached by the Steelers and appeared in one game before being waived in December. He was then claimed by the Raiders, but did not play in any games.
Martin’s next move is not yet clear, but he could have a strong chance to return to one of his former teams. The Lions could look to bring back Martin for a shot at the practice squad, or he could make his way back to the Steelers, who scouted him before the 2024 NFL drat.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora had previously reported that Steelers defensive line coach Karl Dunbar attended Martin’s Pro Day at Western Kentucky.
“Overall, Martin is an easy player to like, and his tape was pretty fun,” Kozora wrote in a profile on Martin before the draft that year. “He can stuff the run, but he’s not a one-note guy. There’s some energy and pass rush juice, even if he’s gotta work on using his hands and developing his move.
“There aren’t many guys of Martin’s body type to compare to in the modern NFL, but I’ll land on Jordan Phillips with a ceiling of a Michael Brockers type.”
Lions Making Moves on Defense
The defensive line has been a work in progress for the Lions, with the unit undergoing many changes since Martin’s departure prior to last season. The team used a first-round draft pick on defensive tackle Tyleik Williams, who is expected to take on a bigger role in the upcoming season.
Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker suggested that Williams could see the biggest year-over-year improvement among the team’s defensive linemen.
“Williams settled in nicely to Detroit’s defensive line rotation, playing to a 68.2 PFF pass-rush grade on 446 total snaps. That effort against the pass is particularly encouraging considering his poor performance in that area in his final two collegiate seasons,” Locker wrote.
“Somewhat perplexingly, Williams wasn’t effective against the run with a 5% run stop rate in 2025. But given his elite 88.6 PFF run-defense mark at Ohio State in 2024, expect an uptick in that category. Ultimately, the Lions not re-signing D.J. Reader indicates that the team is comfortable giving Williams an augmented role in his second year.”
The Lions also added to their pass-rushing group, taking Michigan’s Derrick Moore in the second round of the NFL draft.
Ex-Lions DT Cut Loose by NFL’s Worst Team in Offseason Move