2023 The NFL Draft It’s almost in the books and the Detroit Lions are out with eight rookies. But even with the final picks all off the board, general manager Brad Holmes and company’s work is far from over, as there is still plenty of undrafted free agent (UDFA) talent.
As always, we’ll be looking for reports of players who reportedly signed UDFA contracts with the Lions and listing them in the tracker below.
Assuming the Lions get their entire draft class under contract, the Lions have 75 spots on the 90-man roster. It’s worth noting that the Lions have 15 roster spots, and Detroit’s draft picks aren’t technically under contract at this point. Therefore, the Lions could sign more than 15 UDFAs and then make a roster decision.
This is in line with what the Lions have done in previous seasons under Holmes. The Lions brought in 13 UDFAs in 2021, including starters Brock Wright and Jerry Jacobs. Holmes then added 12 UTFAs in 2022, including developmental prospects Obinna Eze, Demetrius Taylor, Derrick Deese Jr. and Greg Bell.
One final note. Differentiating between announced UDFA signings and players who tried out for rookie minicamp can be challenging. A lot of times the statements are worded the same and not clarified until the team announces their roster moves. Keep that in mind as you can see some changes in the list below.
Lions 2023 UDFA signings
QB Adrian Martinez, Kansas State (Evidence)
RB Muhammad Ibrahim, Minnesota (Evidence)
OT Connor Calvin, Baylor (Evidence)
LB Isaac Targangelo, Illinois (Evidence)
S Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame (Evidence)
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