8 USFL players the Detroit Lions should consider
The first season of the rebooted USFL completed Saturday night in Canton, Ohio. The Birmingham Stallions held off the Philadelphia Stars in a very entertaining and competitive championship game.
Much of the USFL talent pool is filled with players who would love to advance into the NFL. And more than a few showed they have enough ability or unique traits for NFL teams like the Detroit Lions to take a longer look at them now that the USFL season is complete.
Here are eight USFL players who stood out as players the Lions scouting department should dive deeper on in advance of training camp.
Channing Stribling, CB, Philadelphia Stars
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Stribling is a familiar name in the Mitten State. He’s a product of the Michigan Wolverines program.
After bouncing around several NFL and CFL teams since 2017, Stribling thrived in the USFL. He picked off a league-leading seven passes and offered excellent man-coverage skills with his length. He’s still skinny (6-2/180) and isn’t much of a tackler — the primary reasons he washed out with the Browns and Colts — but Stribling has the coverage savvy and ball skills to investigate.
Calvin Ashley, OT, New Jersey Generals
Ashley played right tackle for the Generals and spearheaded an aggressive ground game. The 6-7, 310-pounder from Florida Atlantic can really move bodies as a run blocker. Ashley appeared in better physical condition than he did in his training camp stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. He doesn’t move well enough to hold up at tackle in the NFL but has potential as a right guard.
Victor Bolden, WR, Birmingham Stallions
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Bolden was a tough cut at the end of Detroit Lions training camp in 2021 and spent the better part of two seasons on the Lions’ practice squad. He channeled the frustration of just missing the cut in Detroit last year into being an impressive receiving and returning threat.
Bolden caught 45 passes out of the slot for the champion Stallions. His quickness and soft hands made him a favorite target. Bolden also showed some juice as a return specialist in both the punt and kick game. Philadelphia devoted bracket coverage to him in the USFL championship game, rare respect for a 5-9 receiver that shows how impactful he was for the champs.
Donald Payne, LB, Houston Gamblers
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Payne has actual NFL starting experience, spending three seasons (2017-2019) with the Jaguars. His anticipation and tackling abliity jumped off the Gamblers’ game film.
Payne led the USFL in tackles (117) and also picked off three passes. He turns 28 next week, but the 6-0, 228-pounder has closing burst and a great nose for the ball. He was a capable special teams player in the NFL and deserves a chance to prove he can get back into the league.
Jordan Ta'amu, QB, Tampa Bay Bandits
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Another player who has prior Lions training camp experience, Ta’amu played better for the Bandits than his stats would indicate. Ta’amu can thread a needle with his passes and is a threat to tuck and run.
He’s bounced around the NFL since leaving Ole Miss because of his indecisive nature in the pocket. Ta’amu did a better job of getting the ball out quickly and making the right decisions in the USFL. For a team like the Lions who have massive questions behind starter Jared Goff, Ta’amu is worth a longer look.
Jared Thomas, C, New Orleans Breakers
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That’s Thomas in the foreground, doing what he did best for the Breakers: keeping the QB clean.
Thoams earned all-USFL honors at center for his consistent blocking. The Northwestern grad demonstrated good balance and excellent striking with his hands. He’s hindered by short arms, but the 6-2, 300-pounder at least deserves a sniff for how well he played for the Breakers.
DeMarquis Gates, LB, Stallions
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Gates racked up six sacks and 62 total tackles as a do-it-all backer for the Stallions. His sack in the championship game showed his quick-strike ability and how well he can use his length. Gates led the USFL in tackles-for-loss and lined up in multiple spots for Birmingham.
The former Ole Miss star has now thrived in three different leagues since going undrafted in 2018, dominating the XFL and AAF before his strong showing with the champion Stallions. Gates has had cups of coffee in a couple of NFL training camps but didn’t really have a set position. He fits the WLB role in a base 4-2-5 nicely–the base defense the Lions will run under Aaron Glenn.
Shalom Luani, S, Washington Generals
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Luani earned his All-USFL honors as a playmaking safety for the Generals. He picked off five passes and notched a sack despite missing two games with an injury. He was very easy to spot on Washington game film, flying all over the field.
Luani, 27, has been in NFL training camps with several teams after being a seventh-round pick by the Raiders in 2017. He’s got special teams value and can fill in as a middle-of-field robber and enforcer if he continues to display better eye discipline.
