The Detroit Lions have already dipped into the CFL market this offseason, signing reigning Most Outstanding Defensive Player Mathieu Betts to a free agent contract.
Now, general manager Brad Holmes is set to host the league's reigning Most Outstanding Rookie, Qwan'tez Stiggers, on a pre-Draft Top-30 visit according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson.
Stiggers, a cornerback, is taking an unconventional route to professional football, not playing a snap of college football. He was set to enroll at Lane College in Tennessee, but dropped out after his father died in 2020.
After not playing in college, he began work as a Door Dash driver before he began a career in the Fan Controlled Football League. He would later sign with the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL after also considering a career in the XFL.
With the Argonauts, he blossomed into a standout player. He had 53 defensive tackles and five interceptions during the 2023 season, earning an invite to the East-West Shrine Bowl in the process.
He excelled at the Shrine Bowl and generated buzz to his pro potential. Stiggers was viewed as one of the top performers at the event. He did not receive an invite to the NFL Combine, which begins Tuesday.
The Lions are believed to be in the market for cornerback help after their options at the position struggled in 2023. Detroit also hired a new cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator in Deshea Townsend, who won two Super Bowls as a player.
The NFL Draft is set for April 25-27 in Detroit.
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