Detroit Lions bringing in XFL wide receiver Darrius Shepherd for tryout

XFL Special Teams Player of the Year Darrius Shepherd will be at Detroit Lions rookie minicamp for a tryout.

The XFL exists in part to help players who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to play, and perhaps get noticed by the NFL. According a press release from the league on Thursday night, St. Louis Battlehawks wide receiver Darrius Shepherd will be at Detroit Lions rookie minicamp for a  tryout next week.

Shepherd went undrafted in 2019 out of North Dakota State. He spent two seasons with the Green Bay Packers, appearing in 14 games mostly as a kick returner over that time (six receptions for 47 yards).

Shepherd spent time on the practice squads of the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, before getting taken by the Battlehawks in the XFL Draft last November.

Shepherd had a nice season in the XFL, finishing fourth in the league in receptions (48), seventh in receiving yards (519) and tied for second in touchdowns (six). He was also a productive kick returner, averaging 24.5 yards per return on 37 attempts on his way to being named the XFL’s Special Teams Player of the Year.

Lions to give Darrius Shepherd and a kicker from the XFL a shot at rookie minicamp

Shepherd is small (5-foot-10, 186 pounds) and not overly fast (4.61 40-yard dash at his Pro Day). But the Lions do have a void at kickoff returner, with free agent Justin Jackson holding down the gig last year and there not being a clear replacement on the roster right now.

The Lions are also reported to be bringing in a kicker from the XFL for a rookie minicamp tryout, John Parker Romo of the San Antonio Brahmas, though he was not on the league’s list of tryout invites. Romo went 17-for-19 on field goals for the Brahmas, and he spent time with the New Orleans Saints last preseason.

However long the odds feel, Shepherd is getting a shot to get back into the NFL after a productive season in the XFL.