Lions sign former Michigan State CB Shakur Brown to practice squad

The Lions continue to churn their practice squad amid injuries, with a former Michigan State cornerback the latest addition.

The Lions have added another player to their lengthy injury list, with cornerback Corey Ballentine going on IR Friday morning with a hamstring injury. Offensive tackle Darrin Paulo was also released from the practice squad, and former Michigan State cornerback Shakur Brown has been signed to the practice squad.

Brown played in 26 games and made 12 starts over three seasons for the Spartans, with a long list of lofty accolades for his play in 2020. He tied for third in the country with five interceptions last year, despite playing just seven games in a truncated season.

Brown went undrafted in April though, with surefire knocks for a lack of size (5-foot-10) and average numbers in athletic metrics at his Pro Day. However, he did bench press 225 pounds an impressive 17 times at Michigan State’s Pro Day. His game tape definitely looks better than what amount to track and field metrics posted in a workout setting.

Lions: Shakur Brown drew interesting pre-draft comp

In reporting the Lions signing Brown, Chris Burke of The Athletic cited a draft comp from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein. Former NFL cornerback, and first-year Lions’ defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn.

Brown is now an option within a very inexperienced Lions’ secondary that has shown improvement recently. He was lauded for his versatility during the pre-draft process, in terms of being able to play outside and in the slot as well as having played in multiple defensive schemes.

Brown probably won’t be on the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Bengals. But it would not be surprising if he gets promoted to the 53 for Week 7, and manages to stick on the active roster every week beyond that. The Lions may have unearthed a find here, and a guy local football fans are familiar with as well.