By NATE ATKINS -- natkins@mlive.com

The Lions had another active draft, adding nine players with their picks in seven rounds. Filling out a 53-man roster means taking chances on players who go undrafted. Some will occasionally make the final cut, but their presence in camp creates competition and makes it so many players can't feel too comfortable about their place on the team.

The Lions have signed a number of undrafted free agents, and they'll get to evaluate them in person Friday through Sunday at their annual rookie minicamp. Here's a look at the ones they've signed so far and what they'll be trying to prove next weekend and beyond:

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Tion Green, Cincinnati RB

The Lions surprised when they didn't spend any of their nine draft picks on this year's loaded running back class. Instead, they're giving a shot to just one through a UDFA contract. At 6 feet and 230 pounds, Green brings all the size Detroit could hope for in the power back that's currently missing from the roster. He never reached his potential at Cincinnati, where he scored just twice last season, but he'll try to show the Lions he can be a tough, compact runner between the tackles who is also capable enough in pass protection to be a quality depth piece.

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Michael Rector, Stanford WR

The Lions took a red-zone threat in third-round Northern Illinois product Kenny Golladay with their one pick spent on a wide receiver this season. What they neglected to find was a deep threat, which they lacked down the stretch last season. That's about all Rector offers as a prospect at this point. He has decent size at 6 feet and 193 pounds, but his drops and lack of quickness dropped him despite an NFL Scouting Combine invite. But 4.42 40-yard-dash speed is real, and he'll get to showcase his developmental potential to Lions coaches this weekend.

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Noel Thomas Jr., UConn WR

What the Lions really value in their receivers is the ability to make plays with the ball in space, and that's what Thomas can bring. He had a terrific career at UConn, setting the school record with 100 career receptions and pouring in 1,179 yards as a senior. At 6 feet and 205 pounds, he can separate down the field, but separating off of press coverage has been another issue. Thomas currently isn't fast or strong, but he'll try to show he can be a backup slot option to Tate -- something the Lions don't have set on the roster.

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Dontez Ford, Pittsburgh WR

The Lions are showing right now an affinity for larger receivers, an attempt to fill the void that comes with losing their receiving touchdowns leader in Anquan Boldin. Ford has great size at 6 feet 2 and 210 pounds, so he's a physical specimen they'll want to see run their plays. He wasn't able to offer too much of a look at Pittsburgh, where he missed five games with a collarbone injury and caught just five touchdowns with less than 900 yards in his career.

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Brandon Barnes, Alabama State TE

This year's tight-end class was loaded, too, and the Lions tapped into it in the fourth round with Toledo's Michael Roberts. The league today mostly demands that teams have two capable tight ends at all times, so the Lions will want to try to develop high-potential ones they can reasonably find. Barnes was expected to be a late draft pick but fell out of a deep class. At 6 feet 4 inches and 255 pounds, he has impressive size and was used in creative ways at times at Alabama State. He'll need to show the Lions he can make a solid impact on special teams.

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Rob Tonyan, Indiana State TE

At 6 feet 5 inches and 236 pounds, Tonyan is another small-school prospect with some skills to offer at tight end. He got a slow start after he originally came to college as a quarterback and then moved to wide receiver, but he broke out last season with 10 receiving touchdowns. He's an interesting physical specimen who will have to catch up on the learning curve quickly to make an impression.

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Storm Norton, Toledo OT

The Lions didn't take an offensive lineman this season after making it the priority of last year's draft and this spring's free-agency period. Norton was a college teammate with Detroit's fourth-round pick, tight end Michael Roberts, and they combined for the nation's No. 7 offense in yards per game. He's monstrous at 6 feet 8 inches and 311 pounds, and he started every game the past two seasons. He's coming from an offense where he worked out of a two-point stance, though, so the learning curve is certainly there.

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Leo Koloamatangi, Hawaii OG

The Lions are in a similar spot at guard as they are at tackle, except the numbers are currently a little more difficult at guard. Koloamatangi was a slow starter at Hawaii, spending five years there but only becoming a starter as a redshirt senior. The 6-foot-5-inch, 310-pounder did start games at both guard and center, so if he can show he's ready to compete in practice, he could entice a team that would love to save a roster spot with a lineman who can fill in at multiple spots.

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Alex Barrett, San Diego State DE

The Lions entered the draft with a sizable need at defensive end, but they only spent late picks on it in sixth-round Arkansas product Jeremiah Ledbetter and seventh-rounder Pat O'Connor out of Eastern Michigan. They're clearly wanting to create a competition among inexpensive chips for the later roster spots in that room, so that's where Barrett will try to factor in. He's probably a pass-rush specialist at this point, as he measures just 6 feet 2 inches and 255 pounds. He did have 7.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss last season at San Diego State, and that playmaking was what drew them to O'Connor, too.

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Julie Bennett | jbennett@al.com

Maurice Swain Jr., Auburn DT

The Lions are used to playing with oversized defensive tackles like Haloti Ngata and A'Shawn Robinson, so that explains the draw to Swain. He measures 6 feet 5 inches and 314 pounds, and he's had a slow development, starting at Mississippi Gulf Community College and ascending to a rotational defensive lineman at Auburn. That's what the Lions often do with their interior, though, so Swain will try to show he belongs.

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Jeremiah Valoaga, UNLV DE

Valoaga is the very definition of a bet on potential. He's shown little of what he can do on a football field because he's rarely been on it. He redshirted in 2014 and only played in 16 games the past two seasons as injuries and off-the-field issues have kept him away. He didn't even finish his college career, as he was dismissed late last season due to a violation of team rules. But he had six sacks in 10 games last season, and at 6 feet 6 inches and 255 pounds, he has some great size potential if he can show he'll commit to the weight room.

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Nick James, Mississippi State DT

Bob Quinn said the Lions highly valued character in the draft, but they're showing no refrain from taking risks on potentially bad ones on the UDFA market. James was arrested at least four times at Mississippi State, with much of it related to alcohol. On the field, he brings plenty of mass at 6 feet 6 inches and 330 pounds. He specialized as a run-stuffer in one of the best running conferences in college football.

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Josh Thornton, Southern Utah CB

The Lions are again showing interest in a defensive back out of Southern Utah. It's where they plucked Miles Killebrew in the fourth round a year ago. The 5-foot-11-inch, 185-pound Thornton started at cornerback on the same defense as Killebrew in 2015. He has five interceptions in the past two years as a starter and will try to showcase his ball-production potential to a Lions team that went the final five games last season without forcing a single turnover.

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Des Lawrence, North Carolina CB

Lawrence comes to the Lions as perhaps their highest-profile undrafted free agent. He started three seasons in one of the top college conferences at North Carolina and received All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition in each of the past two. His 27 pass breakups rank fourth in school history. He brings good height, listed at 6 feet 1 inch on the school website, but he'll certainly need to add to his 185-pound frame.

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And some tryout players

The Lions will also host the following rookies on a tryout basis at next weekend's minicamp:

Tyler Stewart, Nevada QB

Luke Papilion, Sioux Falls TE

Bradley Mitchell, Mount Union RB

Cameron Young, Weber State OG

Samajie Grant, Arizona WR

De'Quan Hampton, USC WR

Jonah Hodges, San Diego RB

Billy Freeman, San Jose State TE

D.J. May, Wyoming S

Kedrick Davis, Charlotte CB

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