Dylan Drummond went undrafted out of Eastern Michigan, as probably expected for a receiver out of the MAC coming off a 33-catch season--even a season where he 15.9 yards per catch. But he parlayed a rookie minicamp tryout into being signed by the Detroit Lions, and an opportunity when training camp came around.
It's fair to say he's making the most of the opportunity. On Monday, Drummond made safety Tracy Walker look bad on a touchdown reception. Wednesday was a strong day for him, then on Thursday he beat No. 1 corner Cameron Sutton for a touchdown.
Before Thursday's practice, head coach Dan Campbell talked about how Drummond is getting noticed.
"We see it,” coach Dan Campbell said. “He makes plays every day. He really, mentally, can play all the positions. He competes in special teams and I would say he’s hard to ignore. He’s just hard to ignore. He just, he’s continuing to climb the depth chart, so he’s doing exactly what a guy like him has to do. He’s doing everything right. He rarely messes something up and if he does, he learns from it, he grows and it doesn’t happen again, so he’s doing a good job.”"
Campbell added how the Lions were pretty familar with Drummond, given that he played just down the road at EMU as was effectively a local player.
Could Dylan Drummond make the Detroit Lions' 53-man roster?
The Lions have four stone-cold locks to make their 53-man roster out of camp at wide receiver--Amon-Ra St. Brown, Marvin Jones, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds. Jameson Williams' six-game suspension opens up an extra spot to start the season, with Drummond, rookie seventh-round pick Antoine Green, Denzel Mims, Maurice Alexander and Trinity Benson as the competitors for the fifth and possibly sixth wide receiver spots.
Drummond has been getting prominent practice reps with or ahead of his competitors this week. He's making the most of an opportunity he wasn't sure he was going to get after the minicamp tryout, emerging as a sleeper to make the Lions' roster as the first preseason games gets closer