Detroit Lions Sign Cornerback D’Joun Smith to Practice Squad

The Detroit Lions have signed former third round pick cornerback/kick returner D’Joun Smith to their practice squad.

The Detroit Lions made a roster move Friday morning by adding cornerback/kick returner D’Joun Smith to their practice squad. They released tight end Brian Leonhardt in a corresponding move.

Smith was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round (pick 65) of the 2015 draft. He was expected to immediately compete for a starting role as their slot cornerback. Smith suffered a concussion in the preseason opening game, then a knee injury landed him on injured reserve (designated to return).

By mid-November Smith was able to recover from his knee injury and returned to the Colts 53-man roster. Smith played in four games, recorded one tackle and recovered a special teams fumble, before ending up on injured reserve again.

Smith entered the 2016 training camp with a clean bill of health. He would then injure his ankle in the preseason and was released with an injury settlement. The Colts hoped to put him on injured reserve for a second season, but Smith decided to test the market instead. He would have work outs with the Saints and the Jets before ending up in Detroit.

Draft Profile

D’Joun Smith was highly thought of coming out of Florida Atlantic in 2015. He had solid pre-draft workouts, as Pride of Detroit’s Kent Platte illustrates with his RAS score:

Lance Zierlein had this to say about Smith in his draft profile at NFL.com:

"Smith possesses above average ball skills and instincts, but questions about his ability to keep up with vertical speed could push his draft stock down a little bit. Smith’s cleanest fit might be in a Cover 2 scheme, but he has starting talent."

Mike Mayock would say this of Smith after he was drafted:

"Smith is a quick-footed corner. He’s not as long as you might like, but he’s competitive. This kid will tackle."

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D’Joun Smith was added to the Lions practice squad because of his potential and if he can stay injury free, he’s the type of player who could eventually land on the 53-man roster. While, he may not impact the Lions this season, these are the kind of roster moves Lions fans should be happy Bob Quinn is making.