The Detroit Lions kick off the OTAs on Wednesday. The offseason program will continue with another round of OTAs on June 3 before the team reconvenes for the mandatory minicamp between June 10 and 12. The Lions will use this time to evaluate the rookies and newcomers and make their evaluations before having to trim the roster down to 53 players before the season.
This means that the players who are on the roster bubble have to impress the coaching staff over the next few weeks to earn a roster spot before the season. The Lions are loaded across the board and brought back most of their key contributors from a season ago. This makes cracking the roster that much more difficult for offseason acquisitions.
Kenny Yeboah Continues to Be a Cut Candidate Heading into OTAs
One of those players is tight end Kenny Yeboah. The former undrafted free agent signed with the Lions in free agency after spending the first four seasons of his career with the New York Jets. The veteran playmaker has an uphill battle as the OTAs begin and remains a cut candidate.
Sam LaPorta will remain the starting tight end, with Brock Wright continuing to play a large role. Yeboah will presumably battle Shane Zylstra for the TE3 role, but neither player has done enough so far in their careers to guarantee themselves that spot. The Lions are also bringing in undrafted free agents Caden Prieskorn and Zach Horton to camp to see if either of them can carve out a role for themselves.
Zylsta has been with the organization since 2021 and is considered a developmental success story. He has familiarity with the coaching staff and the teammates, as well as experience contributing on special teams. While he hasn't done too much offensively, the Lions like to prioritize continuity and experience, making him the favorite over Yeboah to make the final roster.
With the OTAs beginning, every player has a chance to break out and make their case. If Yeboah can't do that, he may be near the top of the list for potential cut candidates before the season.