The Detroit Lions took a look at three defensive players on Friday, bringing in defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi and cornerbacks Ryan Cooper and Anthony Kendall for tryouts.
As of Saturday morning, none of the three had signed, though Detroit still had time to make a move during its day off before Sunday’s training camp practice.
Fatukasi brings the most experience of the group. He’s an eight-year veteran with 90 games and 64 starts on his résumé, and while a shoulder injury wiped out most of his 2025 season, he had started 55 games over the previous four years combined.
At 6-foot-4 and 318 pounds, he fits the mold of a nose tackle, and at his best he flashed real strength against the run. His PFF run defense grades peaked at 81.6 in 2019 and 80.1 in 2020, though that number slipped in recent seasons, with marks of 61.0 in 2023 and 32.4 in 2024.
Detroit’s interest in a body like that may tie back to Aidan Keanaaina’s absence from Friday’s practice. The reason for that absence wasn’t clear, and it’s not even certain at this point whether he’s dealing with an injury.
Cooper, meanwhile, entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2024 and has spent the last two years bouncing between teams. Last season, he played cornerback for the UFL’s Birmingham Stallions and produced 25 tackles, four pass breakups, and an interception in nine games.
Kendall followed a different path, going undrafted in 2023 before spending two seasons with the Tennessee Titans. He appeared in 16 NFL games, all during his rookie year, and carved out work as a core special teamer, playing 323 snaps. Since then, he’s been unable to get back on the field, despite stops with the Ravens practice squad and a 2025 training camp stint with the Browns.
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