Jefferson made the Lions' initial 53-man roster Tuesday as their No. 4 running back, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports.
After being outdone by Justin Jackson this preseason while seemingly offering less value on special teams than Godwin Igwebuike, Jefferson surprisingly survived roster cuts after getting beat out by Igwebuike in 2021. However, Craig Reynolds remains in the No. 3 slot, so Jefferson won't necessarily be next in line for work if something happens to D'Andre Swift or Jamaal Williams.