Two rookie camp tryout players are signed by the Lions, such as the former Michigan Panther.
ALLEN PARK — Following tryouts during rookie minicamp over the weekend, tight end Parker Hesse and receiver Kaden Davis were signed by the Detroit Lions.
After spending his rookie season with the Denver Broncos in 2022 after going undrafted out of Northwest Missouri State, Davis played in the USFL this past season, splitting time between the Arizona Cardinals and the Michigan Panthers. During his five games with the Panthers, Davis averaged 25.9 yards on 12 kickoff returns and caught eight catches for 83 yards.
During the majority of the previous NFL season, Davis was a member of the Cardinals practice squad. He was elevated once in December but never saw game action. In addition to returning two punts for 27 yards, he caught eight catches for 73 yards and one touchdown during the preseason.
This season, the Lions will implement a new kickoff system akin to that of the NFL, therefore they are experimenting with returner alternatives. When Isaiah Williams and Jalon Calhoun, two undrafted receivers, were permitted to see the first day of rookie minicamp, Davis was there.
Regarding Hesse, he is, in fact, an NFL veteran who will turn 29 in a few months, having played for the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans for the previous five seasons. After switching to tight end, where he has played 28 games throughout the years, including seven starts for the injured Kyle Pitts while in Atlanta in 2022, the 6-foot-3, 261-pound player was a defensive lineman during his time at Iowa. Over his career, he has made 14 catches totaling 132 yards.
There are 90 players on Detroit’s roster as of next week, when they begin Organized Team Activities.
