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The Detroit Lions Will Have to Rely on This 2021 Undrafted Free Agent.

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics
By Jackson Loschko | Last updated 1/24/24

The Detroit Lions travel to Levi’s Stadium to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

Detroit has one of the best offenses in the league. They rank 5th in points, 3rd in yards, 2nd in passing, and 5th in rushing.

Their offensive line deserves a ton of credit for their offensive success, as they are one of the best in the league. They rank 5th in sacks and rank 13th in pass block win rate and 13th in run block win rate.

Unfortunately, their Pro Bowl guard will likely not play.

The Detroit Lions left guard suffered a knee injury.

Jonah Jackson suffered a slight meniscus tear and underwent surgery to repair his meniscus. Jackson will likely not play but could be available if they make it to the Super Bowl.

In the meantime, Detroit will have to rely on Kayode Awosika.

We will take a look at Awosika’s journey to the NFL. It all started in Philadelphia in 2021.

The 2021 NFL Draft.

Kayode Awosika played college football for the Buffalo Bulls. Awosika did not start in his first two seasons but started in his last three seasons. In his junior year, he was named second-team All-MAC; in his senior year, he was named first-team All-MAC. After five great years with the Buffalo Bulls, he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Awosika had a decent performance at the combine, but despite this, experts projected that he would go undrafted. As predicted, he went undrafted. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent.

His time with Philadelphia was short-lived.

Philadelphia released Awosika during roster cuts and signed him to their practice squad in his rookie season. Awosika was elevated in their regular-season finale and appeared in 43 offensive snaps.

Philadelphia released him during roster cuts and signed him to their practice squad in his second season.

On September 15, 2022, he was signed to someone’s active roster.

Awosika found a new home

The Lions signed him off the Eagles practice squad. He appeared in 10 games and started two, representing 155 offensive snaps, allowing one sack, and had a 50.4 PFF Grade.

The Lions released him during roster cuts but signed him to their practice squad shortly after. On September 19, 2023, they signed him to their active roster. He appeared in 15 games and started three, representing 252 offensive snaps. He had two penalties, allowed one sack, and had a 59.8 PFF Grade.

Hard work pays off.

After starting his NFL career as an underdog/backup, Kayode Awosika gets an opportunity to start on the biggest stage, the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers and their elite defensive line.

Will he be an asset or a liability in the running and passing game?

This article first appeared on Gridiron Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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