Lions add two UFL receivers from the UFL championship team, including a former Michigan Wolverines standout

Detroit Lions sign two more UFL standouts. Detroit dipped into the championship-winning Louisville roster, bringing in a former Michigan receiver and another veteran playmaker as camp competition heats up.

Mike Payton Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Louisville’s Tarik Black scores a touchdown against the Dallas Renegades at Lynn Family Stadium. May 24, 2926 Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Detroit Lions had multiple open roster spots at the start of the week, on Tuesday they filled two of them with UFL players from the world champion Louisville Kings team.

At this point, the Lions now have six former UFL players on their roster, with Jake Bates, Jacob Saylors, Nick Whiteside, Thomas Gordon, and these two new guys. Here’s who they are, per James Larsen of Pro Football Newsroom.

Tarik Black

Lions fans might remember Black because he spent three seasons at Michigan before transferring to Texas for his final year of college. He went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft, but has spent time on practice squads with the Colts, Jets, Ravens, Steelers, and Dolphins. He only has one reception in the NFL. He had 27 receptions for 388 yards and three touchdowns for the Kings this season.

At 6-foot-3, he has the makings of a possible X receiver. They could see him as a potential red zone threat in the preseason. He has some special teams value during the regular season. He was Pro Football Focus’s third-highest graded receiver in the UFL

Lucky Jackson

Jackson has been all over the place. He spent two seasons in the CFL with the Bombers and Elks, and then played for the Vikings for three years, and then spent two years in the UFL with the Kings and Defenders. He’s played three regular-season games in the NFL.

Jackson is not going to blow you away with speed, and he doesn’t have any crazy size, but he’s reliable. He put up 392 yards and two touchdowns for the Kings last season.