Earlier this week, the Detroit Lions discreetly promoted cornerback Kindle Vildor from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, a move overshadowed by the injury to defensive lineman Alim McNeill. It’s an unusual move given that many expected defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna to be promoted given the positional need and the fact that Bohanna has already been promoted to the active roster three times.
However, Lions coach Dan Campbell outlined why Vildor is getting the chance this week on Friday.
“Always liked the type of athlete that he was, the competitor that he is,” she remarked. “He fits in perfectly with what we do because he can do a little bit of everything.” We use him in a variety of coverages because he’s tough and will tackle. But he’s also a clever and cunning individual. He’s got cover capabilities, so look at it as an opportunity to go up, let him compete for a little while, and see where it goes.
Vildor was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Bears in 2020. He spent three years with the Bears, appearing in 44 games and starting 22 of them. He had 97 tackles, three tackles for loss, ten passes defended, and an interception throughout that period. He was waived by Chicago in the final round of cuts this season and has since spent time with the Titans and Eagles. On November 14, the Lions added him to their practice squad.
In recent weeks, Detroit’s secondary has struggled. Consider the following four quarterback performances versus Lions defensive backs:
Justin Herbert: 27-of-40, 323 yards, four touchdowns, one interception, 114.9 passing rating
Justin Fields completed 16 of 23 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown with a passer rating of 105.2.
Jordan Love completed 22 of 32 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 125.5.
Derek Carr: 17-of-22, 226 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 105.5 passing rating
Last week, in particular, the Lions struggled, allowing the Saints to convert on five of seven third downs of 9 yards or longer.
“There’s a couple of young guys making errors they shouldn’t make and they’re going to learn from it,” Campbell went on to say.
This season, both of the Lions’ outside cornerbacks have struggled. When targeted, veteran Cameron Sutton has a 59.1 PFF coverage grade and a 103.6 passer rating. Jerry Jacobs has been considerably worse, with a PFF coverage grade of 55.6 and a passer rating of 103.4 allowed.
So, Vildor will get his chance to play defense this week against his previous team? When asked, Campbell was evasive.
“He might,” Campbell speculated. “He’s been competing and he’s been taking some reps, so we’ll see.”
Vildor will almost certainly be on special teams, as he played multiple roles in that phase with the Bears during his three years there.