One of the most prominent undrafted rookies heading to Detroit Lions training camp this weekend now has another option. Isaiah Williams was one of two current Lions players selected in the UFL draft on Wednesday.
Only players not selected in April’s NFL Draft in Detroit were eligible for the UFL draft. There were 80 players taken in the 10-round draft among the eight UFL teams.
Williams, a wide receiver and return man from Illinois, was selected by the Birmingham Stallions in the fourth round. The Stallions are the first-ever UFL champs after winning the league’s title game in June. The UFL comes from the merger of the USFL and XFL and plays in the spring.
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Joining Williams in the UFL draft is Isaac Ukwu, an undrafted rookie pass rusher from Ole Miss. The Michigan Panthers drafted Ukwu in the third round. He’s a longshot to make the Lions roster as an undrafted rookie, but Williams could challenge to make the final 53-man roster as a reserve slot receiver and return specialist.
Being selected in the UFL draft doesn’t do anything in terms of NFL opportunities for Williams or Ukwu. They are still Detroit Lions. However, if they don’t make it in the NFL, the UFL teams that drafted them control their rights in that league.
The Lions recently added Michigan Panthers kicker Jake Bates after the UFL season concluded. Should Williams or Ukwu play in the UFL next spring, they would be eligible to return to the NFL once the second season of the upstart league is over, but as NFL free agents.