Over the years, there haven’t been too many former Michigan State stars playing for the local NFL franchise. The Detroit Lions have drafted dozens of Spartans, but most of them were in the mid-20th century when Michigan State was a national powerhouse and almost perennial national champion.
Since then, there haven’t been just a few names that people can truly remember playing for the Lions like Charles Rogers, Drew Stanton, Sedrick Irvin, and TJ Duckett. Other than that, Detroit has been much more apt to draft Wolverines.
But Joe Bachie might just break that drought of Spartans in Detroit.
Mark Dantonio’s last great linebacker before retiring went undrafted in 2020 but has made several NFL rosters despite bouncing around to now six different organizations.
The Lions might just be a perfect fit for him. He’s facing an uphill battle for one of the final roster spots that are up for grabs, and he may very well be assigned to the practice squad to start, but judging by the way Dan Campbell gushed about Bachie, there’s almost no way he doesn’t play at least a few snaps for the Detroit Lions this season.
Dan Campbell on LB Joe Bachie:
— Al Karsten (@FootballGuy_Al) August 26, 2026
• Exactly what he was coming out
• Smart, crafty, all out linebacker
• Can play all the spots and special teams
• Walked in the door and has a great grasp of this defense
• You need him, he can go "here," you need him, he can go "here"
•…
Bachie has been rotating with the backups throughout fall camp, but even Campbell is saying that he’s been making plays and he’s just a smart linebacker. He walked into the facility for the first time this offseason and had a grasp of the defense immediately.
Something that will improve his chances of making the roster is the fact that he’s a force on special teams. Coaches love good special teams players. Those guys often go unnoticed.
Campbell loves him some Bachie and even if he doesn’t make the 53-man roster after Saturday’s preseason finale, he’s going to find his way there at some point during the season.
Joe Bachie and Dan Campbell feel like the perfect match
Campbell is just a football guy. Always has been and always will be. He’s one of those no-nonsense coaches who commands respect. Bachie is also a football guy who doesn’t do anything really flashy and he commands respect from his teammates. The match is perfect.
The Lions need some linebackers who bring that “grit” and hard-nosed attitude to the roster and play kind of an old-school way. It’s why Jack Campbell is such a perfect fit in Detroit.
Bachie fits that description, too.
He’s not the biggest, most athletic, or flashiest player out there, but Bachie will make plays consistently and he’s rarely in the wrong place or making mistakes.
Again, he might not make the roster immediately, but he’ll get the call eventually.
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