Fresh off their second preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Detroit Lions have signed former DC Defenders running back Deon Jackson to their roster. This is just the latest UFL running back addition for the Lions over the last couple of weeks. The Lions also signed former St. Louis Battlehawks running back Jacob Saylors on July 29.
Before his UFL career with the Defenders, Jackson played college football with the Duke Blue Devils from 2017 to 2020. He rushed for 2,267 yards in four seasons with the Blue Devils before being signed as an undrafted free agent by the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.
In his three seasons with the Colts, Jackson primarily played backup to star running back Jonathan Taylor. His best season with the Colts came in 2022, when he rushed for 236 yards and one touchdown on 68 carries. Jackson appeared in 27 games for the Colts, starting in three of them, and finished his tenure with Indianapolis, rushing for 281 yards.
In 2023, Jackson also appeared in one game with the New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns and has been out of the NFL since then.
What to expect from Jackson for the Lions in the preseason
The highlight of Jackson's professional career has been in the UFL with the Defenders. This season, Jackson helped lead the Defenders to a UFL Championship win over the Michigan Panthers, rushing for 46 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries in the title game.
Jackson finished the season ranked third in the UFL in rushing yards behind none other than Saylors with 441 yards on the ground and four touchdowns in 10 games played. Jackson can also be effective in the receiving game, as he caught seven passes for 39 yards last season for the Defenders.
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With Jackson set to join Detroit's running back room, expect both him and Saylors to share valuable reps in the Lions' upcoming preseason matchup next Saturday against the Miami Dolphins at Ford Field.
The Lions' top four running backs on their final 53-man roster for the 2025 regular season are expected to be Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Craig Reynolds, and Sione Vaki. That leaves Jackson set to battle with Saylors for a place on the Lions' practice squad. Detroit waived running back Jabari Small with an injury settlement.