Five likely winners and five likely losers at Detroit Lions training camp
By Ash Thompson
Winner: Tracy Walker
Tracy Walker went in the third round of the draft. The Detroit Lions are not in the habit of drafting players that high, and then not utilizing them. Last season, Kenny Golladay stepped into a major role during week one with two spectacular touchdown catches. In 2016 Graham Glasgow immediately showed that he was a legitimate interior lineman.
Like Walker, neither of those picks was beloved by prognosticators. Many draft boards had Glasgow going as late as the sixth round. Golladay was also considered a major reach. Walker fits the same mold. It is possible that nobody but Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia think Walker is a third round prospect. They are the only two people who matter though.
Walker is a plus athlete with positional diversity within a secondary. He lined up over the slot, strong and free safety, and at corner during his days at Louisiana-Lafayette. Matt Patricia’s history says that he loves that kind of player.
Loser: Miles Killebrew
Miles Killebrew, on the other hand, has the exact opposite problem of Walker. As opposed to fitting a multitude of spots in the secondary, Killebrew looked like a box safety only during the 2017 season.
Limited players are not what Patricia has utilized in the secondary. If Killebrew can also take snaps at nickel linebacker, that would change things, but so far he has been the classic tweener.