Lions UDFA Spotlight: Violence could be the key for Loren Strickland's chances of making the roster
The Detroit Lions are low on safety help as things stand right now. They went into the 2024 NFL Draft with Ifeatu Melifonwu, Kerby Joseph and Brandon Joseph on the roster. Then they didn't draft one perse. The Lions did take Sione Vaki, but it looks like running back and special teams is his future […]
The Detroit Lions are low on safety help as things stand right now. They went into the 2024 NFL Draft with Ifeatu Melifonwu, Kerby Joseph and Brandon Joseph on the roster. Then they didn't draft one perse. The Lions did take Sione Vaki, but it looks like running back and special teams is his future in Detroit.
The Lions brought in two undrafted free agent safeties in Wake Forrest's Chelan Garnes and Ball State's Loren Strickland. Its the Ball State kid that has a real shot to find his way to the Lions roster. Why? This is why:
There's one thing that you've heard the Lions preach on and on about when it comes to their defense, it's that they love a player that plays with violence. That's Strickland. The kid plays like a cannonball. He doesn't just wrap up on tackles, he hurls his entire body at players until they fall to the ground.
He's like watching Daffy Duck in Space Jam. You know, the scene where he cocks his legs and then goes in for a hit on one of the Monstars.
You're not going to get a ton of interceptions or pass deflections from Strickland. He didn't pick any passes at Ball State and only had two pass deflections. But what you get is someone that can tackle and is a pretty good run stopper. You also get a player that the Lions can send in on a safety blitz. Something they really loved to do in 2023.
Strickland has really good closing speed and can flat out make a stop. He was averaging about four tackles per game last season. He didn't just play well against the smaller schools. In 2022 he had eight tackles against Tennessee.
All UDFA's have a long road to making the 53-man roster. Strickland's style of play of could really give him a chance. Even if he doesn't make the main roster, we've already predicted that he will make the Lions practice squad. It's just hard to see a guy that hits like that get away from Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn.
Predicting the Detroit Lions 17 man practice squad after the 2024 NFL Draft
On Monday we went through the Detroit Lions roster piece by piece to try to make a way too early prediction on what the team's 53-man roster might look like after roster cuts in August. Today we'll do a companion piece to that where we talk about who might be on the Lions 17 man […]
