There’s a secret war happening at Detroit Lions training camp

Training camp is heading towards its climax for the Detroit Lions. There’s just a bit more than a few weeks left and two preseason games. Most of the position battles that we were all paying attention to have reached their climax. It feels safe to say that Kyle Allen has won the QB2 job, and […]

Mike Payton — Detroit Lions Beat Writer
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Training camp is heading towards its climax for the Detroit Lions. There’s just a bit more than a few weeks left and two preseason games. Most of the position battles that we were all paying attention to have reached their climax.

It feels safe to say that Kyle Allen has won the QB2 job, and Kalif Raymond has staved off Dominic Lovett. We’re still waiting to see what happens at SAF4, and there’s a fun triple threat between Nate Lynn, Keith Cooper Jr., and Isaac Ukwu that needs to be resolved. However, there is one battle that nobody is talking about, but with some backstory, you might find yourself paying close attention in these final two preseason games. We’re talking about Jacob Saylors vs. Deon Jackson.

I would totally understand if you wondered who these players are. There are 90 guys on the roster, and it’s hard to keep track of all of them. Saylors and Jackson have a bit of a fun story. They were two of the top running backs in the UFL this spring, and they were competing for a spot on the All-UFL team.

Saylors ran for 499 yards and five touchdowns, and Jackson ran for 417 yards and four touchdowns. It was Saylors who got that All-UFL spot. Now we fast forward a few months, and both running backs are battling for a spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster.

They’re unlikely to get it, but there is still definitely something worth fighting over. The Lions have always carried a running back on the practice squad. Usually, that was Jermar Jefferson, but now Jefferson is with the Titans. Saylors and Jackson can fight for that spot, and one of them is likely to get it. That spot is important because, as we know, the Lions play their practice squad guys a lot. Let’s see what happens on Saturday. With Jabari Small gone, we should see a nice amount of these guys after Sione Vaki or Craig Reynolds get their run.

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