Lions sign former UFL star in hopes of strengthening their secondary

The Detroit Lions have added another former UFL star with the signing of Michigan Panthers cornerback D.J. Miller. The Lions have added former Panthers players before, as it's where they found their star kicker, Jake Bates.

Before his career in the UFL with the Panthers, Miller was a star cornerback in college at Kent State. Miller transferred to Kent State in 2022 after three seasons with Iowa State, where he had a hard time finding a role on defense, recording a total of 18 tackles in his career with the Cyclones.

At Kent State, Miller had a significant impact on defense, recording 113 total tackles in two seasons with the Golden Flashes.

Miller's time in the UFL and short stint with the Chiefs

Miller was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent before the 2024 NFL season. He didn't appear in any game action for the Chiefs before joining the Panthers for the 2025 UFL season.

Last season with the Panthers, Miller played a key role in Michigan's run to the 2025 UFL Championship game. The Panthers lost the UFL Championship 58-34 to the DC Defenders. Miller recorded 17 tackles and two interceptions in the regular season for the Panthers. He added eight tackles in the postseason.

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Miller made UFL history this past season with the Panthers in Michigan's Week 2 matchup against the Birmingham Stallions, becoming the first player in league history to record multiple interceptions in a single game with two.

His two interceptions came in the second and fourth quarters of the Panthers' 20-13 Week 2 loss to the Stallions. The Panthers ended getting payback against the reigning UFL Champion Stallions with a 44-29 win in the USFL Championship game

The Lions are sore for depth at the secondary, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting that head coach Dan Campbell can see Ennis Rakestraw missing some time due to a shoulder injury. He suffered it in practice this past Sunday, adding another bump in the road to the young defender who has struggled to stay healthy in his first year and some change in the league.

Given his history in the NFL, Miller will have to work for a starting role with the Lions this season. Miller, however, should still see some game action with the Lions in the preseason. After that, the Lions will decide what's the best way forward with Miller, and if he impresses, he could see his first game action in an NFL regular season game

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