Before the draft was even over, the Lions front office and coaching staff got on the phones with players they wanted to potentially sign as undrafted rookie free agents.
That market is always an important one when it comes to roster building.
The Lions carried a few undrafted free agents into the season last year, including running back Tion Green, defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga, defensive end Alex Barrett and tackle Storm Norton.
The Lions signed 16 rookie free agents this year. Maybe a few of these names can help their football team in 2018 and beyond:
Al-Rasheed Benton, LB, West Virginia: Started all 13 games at the MIKE last season, and finished second on the team in tackles with 80.