We have reached the point of the offseason where we can start to play a little 53-man roster musical chairs. It’s officially roster projection season as training camps are right around the corner, and teams will have to start thinking about how to trim their rosters from 90 players to opening day’s 53. It’s an exciting time, but not always a fun one, especially for the guys on the bubble.
After suffering through one of the craziest injury-riddled seasons in recent history, the Detroit Lions set out to build adequate depth across the roster. So, if lightning strikes twice, they’ll be more prepared this time around. On the defensive front, they drafted Tyleik Williams and Ahmed Hassanein, re-signed Levi Onwuzurike, and signed Roy Lopez.
With DJ Reader and Alim McNeill penciled in as the starters, the depth chart is filling up fast, and that doesn’t bode well for Brodric Martin, who now finds himself on the outside looking in.
Brodric Martin hasn’t shown enough to warrant a roster spot in 2025
When the Lions selected Martin with the 96th pick out of Western Kentucky, they thought they were getting a space-eating specimen with the physical tools, motor, and potential to wreak havoc along the defensive line.
What they've gotten so far has been anything but.
Through two seasons, Martin is still just as much, if not more, of an unknown now as he was in 2023. Standing 6-foot-5 and weighing 320 pounds, the 26-year-old was viewed as a project, drafted more for his unique frame than his production. The thought was he'd take some time to develop and get caught up to game speed and become McNeill's long-term running mate. Whoops.
Fast-forward two seasons, and Martin has appeared in five games for the Motor City, amassing four tackles, with no tackles for loss, quarterback hits, or sacks. To say he's had an underwhelming career for a former third-round pick would be an understatement.
Martin’s lack of availability hasn’t helped his case, either. A hyperextended knee sidelined him for most of the 2024 season, landing him on injured reserve until late November. He appeared in just two games after that, logging a total of 25 snaps and recording a single tackle. Even before the injury, he wasn’t carving out a role. And once he was healthy, he was mostly a healthy scratch, not exactly a glowing endorsement from the coaching staff.
General manager Brad Holmes has also publicly called out Martin's lack of production, further cementing his status as "Ruh-Roh" heading into training camp.
And it’s not the first time his roster spot has come into question this offseason. Also not great.
So, unless something changes fast, Martin looks like the odd man out. Detroit can’t keep waiting on a player who can't get on the field. With the depth they’ve built, the writing’s on the wall. In a 2023 draft class full of hits, Martin’s shaping up to be one (literal) big miss.
