The Detroit Lions are giving defensive back Jason Taylor II another shot at the NFL after his path took him from the Kansas City Chiefs to the UFL earlier this year.
Detroit announced Monday that it signed Taylor and running back Roydell Williams while placing running back Raheem Blackshear and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson on Reserve/Injured. The additions restore roster depth as the Lions move toward their final preseason game and the looming roster cutdown.
For Taylor, however, the move represents more than a late-August body added to finish camp.
The 26-year-old was an NFL draft pick only three years ago, spent time with three franchises and then played meaningful football in the UFL this spring. Now Detroit is giving him a compressed opportunity to turn that detour into another NFL job.
Jason Taylor II Took a Different Route Back to the NFL
The Los Angeles Rams selected Taylor out of Oklahoma State with the No. 234 overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Taylor appeared in eight games for Los Angeles as a rookie and recorded five tackles, according to Pro Football Reference. His Rams tenure ended the following year, and he later spent time on the Arizona Cardinals‘ practice squad.
Kansas City became his next opportunity.
The Chiefs signed Taylor to a reserve/futures contract in January 2025 before waiving him after that year’s draft. The transaction ended his NFL run for the time being and eventually sent him toward the UFL.
Taylor landed with the Orlando Storm in 2026 and turned that opportunity into actual game tape.
In five UFL regular-season appearances, Taylor recorded 15 total tackles and one forced fumble, according to the league’s official statistics. He added seven tackles and one tackle for loss in Orlando’s postseason game.
That recent experience distinguishes him from the typical unsigned player receiving an emergency call late in training camp. Taylor has been playing this year, and Detroit now gets an immediate look at whether that work translates back to the NFL.
Lions Give Taylor a Short Window to Make His Case
Taylor arrives with little time to settle in.
Pride of Detroit noted that Taylor has professional experience both at safety and in the slot, versatility that can be particularly useful at the back end of a training-camp roster. The outlet also characterized both Taylor and Williams as long shots for the initial 53-man roster given how late they are joining the competition.
That does not make the opportunity meaningless.
Late-summer signings can be auditions for more than one job. Taylor has a chance to make an impression on Detroit’s coaching staff while putting fresh NFL preseason tape in front of every other club preparing to build an active roster and practice squad.
His athletic profile has always been part of the appeal. Taylor is listed at roughly 6 feet and 204 pounds, and Ourlads notes that he ran a 4.41-second 40-yard dash coming out of Oklahoma State. Its pre-draft evaluation described him as capable of handling multiple safety alignments while offering potential as a big nickel defender.
Detroit is therefore taking a low-risk look at a defensive back who still has several traits teams covet: NFL experience, positional flexibility and recent playing time.
The Lions did not have to make Taylor a centerpiece of Monday’s roster shuffle.
But after an NFL exit sent him through the UFL, Taylor has made it back onto an NFL roster with one final preseason opportunity to show he belongs there.
Detroit Lions Sign Former Chiefs DB After Unusual Detour