Now that the XFL is winding down its season, several players from teams no longer in the hunt are getting NFL tryouts. One of them, St. Louis Battlehawks wideout Darrius Shepherd, will audition with the Detroit Lions.
Shepherd is coming off an impressive season catching passes from A.J. McCarron in St. Louis. The former North Dakota State standout caught 48 passes for 510 yards and six TDs. But it’s another aspect of his game that could be Shepherd’s ticket back to the NFL, where he played for the Packers in 2019 and 2020.
Shepherd was named the XFL’s special teams player of the year across the entire league. He averaged 24.5 yards per return on kickoffs. At 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds with a 40-time in the low 4.5s at his pro day back in 2019, being a special teams ace is probably more appealing to Detroit than what he offers as an undersized outside receiver.
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