Detroit Lions rookie OL Kingsley Eguakun didn’t make the field in 2024, but he could be key depth in the future.
After not hearing his name called in the 2024 NFL Draft , Florida offensive lineman Kingsley Eguakun signed with the Detroit Lions as an undrafted free agent. Detroit must have saw something they liked on tape, because they handed him a hefty $225,000 guaranteed along with a $20,000 signing bonus. While expectations are low for undrafted rookies, Eguakun had the potential to make the roster as a backup to All-Pro/Pro Bowler Frank Ragnow.
NFL Scouts are eager to see a healthy Kingsley Eguakun at @ShrineBowl after extremely strong junior tape
Dense center with fluid hips and efficient hand placement to keep him balanced and impactful. Tenacious player and leader https://t.co/4sCgx64U7t pic.twitter.com/SKCvftbLRt
— Shane Coughlin (@Shane__Coughlin) November 22, 2023
Preseason
Eguakun spent his first NFL training camp in competition with fellow undrafted rookies Bryan Hudson and Duke Clemens, as well as third-year player Michael Niese, for the backup center job.
In his first preseason game, the former Florida Gator repped with the first-team offensive line. This was a real “welcome to the league” experience for Eguakun, who struggled throughout the first half of the game at blocking for Nate Sudfeld. On top of a botched snap that resulted in a turnover on downs, he struggled to provide solid blocking in both the run and pass games.
He continued to get the nod as first-team center throughout the rest of the preseason and his play improved with more and more on-field experience.
“He’s a guy that has certainly caught our eye,” coach Dan Campbell said midway through training camp. “He’s put the work in, he’s pretty polished for a young guy, he’s got good feet, he’s quick, he’s smart, he’s tough. So, we’re just getting him some reps in there and seeing what it looks like. He didn’t look out of place yesterday doing that. He’ll get some more today at that (guard) position. So, we like Kingsley, he works his tail off.”
Regular season
Eguakun ultimately did not do enough to crack the 53-man roster heading into the 2024 season, with Niese getting the nod out of the reserves. He did, however, show enough promise to get a spot on Detroit’s practice squad.
The rookie center spent the entirety of his first NFL season on the practice squad, never being elevated for a regular-season game.
2025 outlook
The Lions saw enough promise in Eguakun to sign him to a futures deal in January.
Eguakun heads into the 2025 offseason as the only true center on the roster other than Ragnow. While the realistic backup option in the event that Ragnow couldn’t play would be Graham Glasgow (who would shift over from the guard spot), Eguakun could put together a strong enough training camp and preseason to unseat Niese for the job.
Dan Campbell on Kingsley Eguakun and IOL depth battles:
• Caught our eye
• Polished for a young guy
• Good feet, quick, smart, tough
• Didn’t look out of place as first team RG
• Brad and I have gone back and forth on how many OL we’re keeping
• Can one guy handle two spots pic.twitter.com/iwFduRgsM4— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 21, 2024
Both him and Niese share similar frames and both took reps at both guard and center during training camp, though Eguakun never took snaps at guard during any of the preseason games. Eguakun will either have to really put together an impressive preseason at center or begin cross-training more at guard in order to have a better chance at sticking around for 2025.
Eguakun’s upside here is his athleticism. While he is the smallest offensive lineman on the roster at 6-foot-3 and 312 pounds, he still posted a 9.56 RAS at center with his 32-inch vertical and elite scores in both agility drills. This translates easily to his tape, where he is able to move laterally and keep his composure while still being able to hold his blocks. In college he did not allow a single sack, but he did commit 26 penalties over two seasons as a starter.