Detroit Lions newcomer featured on ESPN's all-backup team

Jared Goff. Amon-Ra St. Brown. Jahmyr Gibbs. Aidan Hutchinson. Brian Branch. Kerby Joseph.

The Detroit Lions have their main stars that are household names and lead the charge. They also have a few unsung heroes that can make big contributions. Players that can step in when their number is called and keep the team afloat.

Detroit had one such player, ironically a player they just added this offseason, named to ESPN's recent list of their All-Backup Team.

That player is wide receiver and likely main returner Greg Dortch, formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. Here's what ESPN's Bill Barnwell had to say about Dortch and his placement on this team:

We're also going to need to take some shots on nontraditional players. The 5-foot-7 Dortch wasn't able to persuade the Cardinals to put him on the field for significant stretches of time, but he has been a reliable pair of hands out of the slot, dropping just three of his 142 targets over the past four seasons. Dortch can also back up Chimere Dikeon punt and kick returns, providing some much-needed depth at returner.

Dortch spent the last five seasons in Arizona after playing his first season in 2019 with the Carolina Panthers. He caught 29 passes for 206 yards and three touchdowns in 2025. He also handled return duties for the Cardinals. Dortch returned 16 punts for 185 yards (11.6 yards per return), along with 31 kick returns for 811 yards (26.2 yards per return) last season.

Dortch will be both a reliable receiver and a key piece in setting up the offense in the Lions' return game. And now he's getting recognition as a key roster piece across the entire league.

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions newcomer featured on ESPN's All-Backup Team