Notre Dame football: Detroit Lions sign Jalen Elliott

While former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott didn’t hear his name called in the NFL Draft, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Detroit Lions.

After a strong performance at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, former Notre Dame safety Jalen Elliott’s draft stock was trending upwards. However, he would underperform expectations at the NFL Combine, which would cause his stock to drop.

Elliott had hoped to regain some of the luster that he enjoyed following his strong Senior Bowl performance with a strong performance at the Notre Dame Pro Day but that event would be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most draft experts expected Elliott to be selected in the latter portion of the 2020 NFL Draft. Draft experts projected the former Irish defensive back to be selected between the fifth and seventh rounds of the draft.

Unfortunately for Elliott, that would not be the case. However, despite not being selected during the NFL Draft, Elliott would sign a contract with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent following the conclusion of the draft.

Elliott will join former Notre Dame teammate Julian Okwara in Detroit, as the Lions drafted Okwara in the third round of the draft. In addition to Okwara, Elliott will play on a defense that features another former Irish player, Julian’s older brother, Romeo Okwara.

Elliott has a decent chance of making Detroit’s roster and is expected to compete for a position of depth in the Lions secondary and be a contributor on special teams. Notre Dame fans know that Elliott represents a solid, but not flashy, option in the secondary after being a major contributor for the Irish the past couple years. It would be no surprise to Irish fans if Elliott were able to wow the Detroit coaching staff and force his way into meaningful playing time in the future.