Head coach Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions added more depth to their defensive line to begin this weekend. It came, though, at the expense of the secondary.
The Lions announced Friday they waived injured cornerback De’Shawn Rucker to sign defensive lineman Ben Stille. A versatile, athletic defensive back, Rucker held the distinction of being the first undrafted rookie to sign with the Lions this spring.
In addition to versatility, Rucker brought speed to training camp for Detroit. At his pro day workout, the defensive back ran a 4.38 40-yard dash.
Lions Waive CB De’Shawn Rucker
GettyThe Detroit Lions originally signed cornerback De’Shawn Rucker in undrafted free agency.
It wasn’t enough to get him drafted. But Rucker turned heads with his fast 40-yard dash time at South Florida’s Pro Day. That likely led to his opportunity with the Lions this past spring and early summer.
“Rucker was a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection in 2025, playing a key part in the Bulls’ Week 2 upset win over the Florida Gators,” wrote SI on Lions’ Emmett Matasovsky.
“During his pro day workouts, he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash and recorded a 37-inch vertical, which sent teams scrambling to watch the tape again and it made Rucker highly coveted.”
Rucker played his first three college seasons at Tennessee. In 24 games, he posted 14 combined tackles with one pass defense. Rucker then transferred to South Florida.
With the Bulls, he had 42 combined tackles with seven pass defenses as a junior. In his senior campaign last year, Rucker registered 58 combined tackles, including 1.5 for loss, four pass defenses and one interception.
Thanks to the speed he displayed at his Pro Day workout, Matasovsky called the cornerback very athletic. Rucker also brought versatility to Lions training camp with the ability to play both outside cornerback and in the slot.
Lions Added Defensive Lineman Ben Stille
GettyThe Detroit Lions signed defensive lineman Ben Stille on Friday.
The Lions have placed a significant emphasis on their defensive line this offseason. So, it wasn’t shocking the team once again addressed the unit Friday.
Like Rucker, Stille was once an undrafted rookie. Stille signed with the Miami Dolphins following the 2022 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he didn’t make the team out of training camp but stayed with the Dolphins on the team’s practice squad.
Stille made his NFL regular season debut in 2022 with the Dolphins. Midway through that season, the Cleveland Browns poached Stille off the Dolphins practice squad. He finished 2022 with the Browns. Stille then experienced stints with the Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before returning to the Dolphins again.
Stille was also with the Atlanta Falcons this year.
The defensive tackle hasn’t played in the NFL regular season since 2024. But from 2022-24, he appeared in 18 contests for the Dolphins, Browns, Cardinals and Buccaneers. He has made one career start.
Stille has posted 17 combined tackles, including one for loss. He also has registered three quarterback hits, two sacks and one pass defense.
The defensive lineman will have until August 30 to try and carve out a role with the Lions.
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