Michigan football’s James Turner finds perfect UDFA opportunity with Lions

There are now 19 former Michigan football players who have been drafted into the NFL or signed as a rookie free agent. The latest is James Turner, a kicker who has signed with the Detroit Lions.

Michigan kicker James Turner, a Saline native, is staying home and is set to sign with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent.

STORY: https://t.co/O62npD7mJu pic.twitter.com/yjiyQtDZMq

— Anthony Broome (@anthonytbroome) April 28, 2024

While Michigan football didn’t set the NFL draft record for picks by a school, the Wolverines did set a program record with 13 players selected. Six others have now signed as rookie free agents including Karsen Barnhart who has signed with the Chargers to join Jim Harbaugh.

Trente Jones will also join James Turner in the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers. Barnhart and Jones have great shots to make their respective teams as rookie free agents and Turner does too.

James Turner could be an upgrade for Detroit

Detroit needed a kicker. The Lions only made three field goals of longer than 40 yards last season. Michael Badgley only made one field goal over 40 yards last season. Turner was 6-of-9 on attempts past 40 yards. Turner was also a perfect 12-for-12 on kicks inside 40 yards.

NFL teams don’t usually draft kickers. Sometimes they do, but most of the time they are signed as rookie free agents. Turner was ranked among the top 10 kickers in the draft according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

Turner is a Michigan native, so signing with the Lions has to be a dream come true. It’s also an ideal opportunity and unlike most Michigan football draftees, he’s going to compete for a starting job next season. He might even win it and upgrade the Lions’ special teams’ production in the process.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms.