One Lions undrafted rookie has caught everyone’s attention, but there’s still one thing standing in his way
One Detroit Lions undrafted rookie has become impossible for the coaching staff to ignore. “He’s caught everybody’s eye.” The talent is showing up almost every day. But there’s still one thing standing between him and a legitimate shot at the 53-man roster.
There’s always one guy at training camp who makes you stop for a second and wonder if he’s about to force his way onto the Detroit Lions roster. Right now, that guy might be undrafted rookie linebacker Erick Hunter out of Morgan State. Hunter has been one of those players who just keeps showing up. Maybe it’s one play in practice, maybe it’s something on special teams, maybe it’s a rep where you suddenly find yourself asking, “Wait, was that Hunter?” The Lions coaching staff is apparently asking the same question.
Special teams coordinator Dave Fipp was asked Wednesday how much Hunter has caught the team’s attention, and his answer was pretty telling.
“He’s definitely caught our eye. He’s caught everybody’s eye, I know that. For him, he’s definitely done something probably every practice where you, where you’re like, ‘Wow, he did a great job there,’ or ‘He stood out,’” Fipp said.
That’s a strong endorsement for a young player fighting for one of the final spots on the roster.
The problem isn’t talent
The issue for Hunter isn’t whether he can make plays. Fipp pretty much confirmed that he can. The problem is whether Detroit can trust an undrafted rookie to avoid the kind of mistake that could completely flip a game. Fipp also pointed out that Hunter has made some big mistakes during camp, and that’s concerning, especially on the punt team, where one missed assignment can lead to a blocked punt.
“Man, how much can you weather? Well, when you’re talking about the punt team, not a lot, Fipp said. So those guys have got to go out there and execute,” Fipp said.
That’s really the battle Hunter is fighting right now. The Lions aren’t just deciding whether he’s talented enough to make the team. They’re deciding whether they trust him enough to put him on the field when one mistake could cost them seven points.
A crowded linebacker room
The guys Hunter is competing against have something he simply can’t manufacture overnight: experience. The Lions have a crowded linebacker room, and Fipp specifically mentioned Hunter alongside Joe Bachie, Troy Reeder, and Amen Ogbongbemiga when discussing the competition.
“These 4 players, they can all play,” Fipp said.
The difference is that Bachie, Reeder, and Ogbongbemiga have all been through this before. They’ve played in NFL games, they’ve logged special teams snaps, and they’ve been in situations where one missed assignment can turn into a disaster. Hunter hasn’t. Fipp even brought up an old Bill Belichick philosophy when explaining the problem. Belichick, according to Fipp, didn’t like putting rookies on the punt team because he understood how devastating one rookie mistake could be.
That’s the uphill climb Hunter is dealing with.
The flash factor
Here’s the thing, though. Fipp also admitted that those veterans haven’t necessarily flashed the way Hunter has.
“The advantage those other guys have is they’ve played, so they’ve been through the stuff. But they haven’t, in some ways, flashed as much as he has at certain things too,” Fipp said.
And that’s where this gets really compelling. Hunter has a chance to make this decision genuinely difficult for the Lions. The easiest thing for Detroit would be to keep the dependable veteran. You know what you’re getting. You know he can line up correctly. You know he understands his assignment. Maybe he doesn’t make the spectacular play, but he doesn’t get your punt blocked either.
Hunter is offering something different. He’s making plays that force coaches to notice him. When Fipp was asked which players have jumped off the film on special teams, Hunter’s name came up again, alongside Tay Martin, Reeder, and Bachie.
At this point in camp, you’re not going to quietly sneak onto the Lions roster. There are too many players fighting for too few spots. You have to give the coaching staff a reason to keep talking about you when they sit down and make those final decisions. Hunter has done that.
Now he has to show them the big plays aren’t coming with big mistakes attached. If he can do that over the next four practices and two preseason games, the Lions might have a much harder decision at linebacker than anyone expected, and this kid from Morgan State might find his way onto the 53-man roster. Even if he doesn’t, it would be shocking if Detroit didn’t find a way to hold on to him on their practice squad. You might see a guy who can continue to grow, and 2027 might be his year.
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