Lions Undrafted Cornerback Could Steal Roster Spot: Insider

After turning in one of the league’s worst defenses last season, the Detroit Lions made some moves this offseason to bolster the unit, especially the secondary.

The Lions signed veteran free agent Emmanuel Moseley, who started 33 games over this five-year tenure with the San Francisco 49ers and is expected to compete for a starting job in Detroit. But as he recovers from an ACL injury that cut short his 2022 season, Moseley could see his place on the roster go to an undrafted rookie with some intriguing potential, one insider predicts.

Lions Rookie Ready to Make an Impact

As The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy noted, cornerback has become a deep position for the Lions with Moseley expected to be one of the top outside corners along with Cam Sutton and Jerry Jacobs. But if Moseley hasn’t recovered in time to start the season, Pouncy believes that undrafted rookie free agent Starling Thomas V could find a spot on the final roster.

Pouncy noted that Thomas has already turned heads through the early practices, and could be well-positioned to make the team.

“The wild card here would be Thomas, who had a good spring and caught Dan Campbell’s attention,” Pouncy wrote, adding, “If he keeps this up, he could earn a spot on the initial 53-man roster — particularly if Moseley isn’t ready to start the season.”

Pouncy noted that Thomas was given a sixth-round draft grade by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. Thomas earned some buzz for his speed and athleticism during his career at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, with Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noting that he was not only a standout football player but also a track star in high school.

“The speed needs to lead any conversation about Thomas. The 5-10, 190-pound corner ran a 4.37 40-yard dash during the pre-draft workouts, but that was a slow time,” Risdon wrote. “He won the Alabama State high school track title in the 100-meter dash at 10.4 seconds. At UAB, he was clocked on GPS timing running over 24.1 MPH–which makes him the fastest player on the Lions.”

Lions Veteran Recovering From ACL Tear

Thomas’ chances of making Detroit’s final 53-man roster could depend on whether Moseley is ready to play at the start of the season. Moseley suffered a series of injuries during his time with the 49ers, including an ACL tear last October that wiped out the rest of his 2022 season.

Moseley told the Detroit Free Press in March that his rehab process was on track and he was hopeful to join teammates at training camp.

“I would definitely say (rehab is) going well,” Moseley said. “I’m putting in a lot of work. About five months out now. We got a lot of time between training camp, so I’m going to continue to do that and then when it’s time for me to get out there and go, I’ll go.”

Moseley’s absence through the first rounds of OTAs and minicamp gave Thomas an opportunity to show off, which has already made an impression on Lions head coach Dan Campbell.

“I’ll tell you what, for a rookie, Starling (is) showing up a little bit,” Campbell told reporters on June 9, via SB Nation’s Pride of Detroit. “He made a play yesterday, but he’s made a few plays now. He’s showing some things.”