Lions Close to Adding Detroit Standout Who ‘Crushed It’ to Roster

 
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The Detroit Lions and coach Dan Campbell are impressed by one undrafted rookie on their squad who is showing his stuff.
The Detroit Lions are looking solid as they make their way into an important season for the squad. Because the Lions have been more than solid for two seasons in a row, they’re considered one of the strongest teams in the NFL this season, so a lot of eyes are on this team. But, as with every team in the NFL, they have some weaknesses that they have to fix.

The Lions’ preseason has been mixed, and if anything, it’s shown where the Detroit Lions need to work on their depth. The team lost their first preseason game to the Chargers, 34-7; beat the Falcons, 17-10; and lost to the Dolphins, 24-17. So, there is certainly room for improvement in the Lions’ backup crew heading into the new season.

The need for more backup players opens up the chance for some under-the-radar candidates to get attention, which is always a fun thing. One of the most interesting things about this time of the year is seeing teams sign players that are totally unexpected, and the Detroit Lions may do just that with a local talent.

 
Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions Working With Michigan Native
It’s always a heartwarming thing to see a local player with the team he grew up championing. That’s one reason Michigan native Aidan Hutchinson is such a gem, aside from, of course, him being one of the best edge rushers in the NFL.

Ian Kennelly was undrafted out of college, but he’s on target to make the Detroit Lions’ 53-man roster. He is a Macomb, Michigan, native, which is a suburb of Detroit, and went to Grand Valley State University.

Now, he’s impressing the powers at be at the Detroit Lions, including coach Dan Campbell. Kennelly is also drawing attention because he came out of pretty much thin air and wasn’t on anybody’s radar.

Kennelly is a 6-foot-2, 210-pound safety, and in a Tuesday, August 19 feature on the player, Justin Rogers from the Detroit Football Network says that he has “elite speed” and that “Kennelly ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash ahead of the draft.”

 
Detroit Player Blew the Coaches Away With Performance
Detroit Lions defensive assistant Jim O’Neil, who works with the Motor City’s safeties, has said glowing things about Kennelly. He also commented on how Kennelly came out of nowhere to be a real contender.

“I didn’t know anything about the kid. At all,” O’Neil said according to Rogers. “He came to local day, and he crushed it. Not just the DB coaches observed it, (but) Fipp ended up gravitating over, Dan (Campbell) ended up gravitating over. It’s like, ‘Who is this kid?'”

He added, “And then we went back and we watched some of the tape, and some of the stuff we saw at the local day was showing up. Physical, could run, could obviously track the ball.”

Kennelly specifically told Rogers during practice that he feels like he belongs with Detroit. “I’m never going to feel like I don’t belong in a group, especially out here,” he stated. “This is what I’ve been doing since I was eight years old, so I know I can play.”

It would be a thrill to see another Detroit area native on the 53-man roster. It looks like that could be happening very soon.
Anne Erickson is an award-winning reporter for Heavy Sports covering the NFL, NBA and college football. Anne Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and additional sports, and her work has been published via ESPN, Fox Sports and more. She has interviewed some of the biggest names in sports, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Erickson also hosts several podcasts and is a Detroit-based radio host. More about Anne Erickson