KD #30

Khalil Dorsey

Cornerback · Northern Arizona

An undrafted special-teams specialist out of Northern Arizona who has made a career as one of Detroit's top gunners.

Khalil Dorsey has never been a defensive-snap-count player, but his value on coverage units has kept him employed for years. Now with the Lions, he remains one of the league's more dangerous gunners on punt coverage.

★ First-team All-Big Sky (2018, Northern Arizona)

★ 72-yard kick return vs. Tennessee (2024)

★ 31-yard reception off a fake-punt trick play (2023)

Path to the league

Dorsey played cornerback at Northern Arizona from 2016 to 2019, earning first-team All-Big Sky honors in 2018. He went undrafted in 2020 and was signed by the Baltimore Ravens, eventually landing on Detroit's practice squad late in the 2022 season.

Career highlights

Dorsey has made his name as a core special-teamer for the Lions, logging heavy special-teams snap counts as a gunner and jammer. In Week 17 of the 2023 season, he hauled in a 31-yard fake-punt pass from linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin on fourth-and-2, and in 2024 he added a career-best 72-yard kick return against Tennessee.

2025 season recap

Dorsey re-signed with Detroit in March 2025 but battled injuries throughout the year, landing on injured reserve in October with a wrist injury and concussion. He returned to action in late November, finishing with 11 games played and eight tackles.