In drafting DE Ahmed Hassanein, Detroit Lions gained extra roster spot
Sixth-round pick Ahmed Hassanein, who was born in the United States but spent most of his youth in Egypt, qualifies for a roster exemption under the NFL's International Pathways Program.
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Hassanein had 22 sacks in his final two seasons at Boise State after relocating to California as a sophomore in high school.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein (61) practices during rookie mini camp at Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park on Friday, May 9, 2025.
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According to NFL.com, players qualify for the IPP program so long as their citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and Canada and they have no more than two years of U.S. high school experience.
Hassanein moved to Egypt with his mother and father when he was 6. He returned to live with his brother as a sophomore in high school, but played only two high school seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Lions were granted an exemption on their 90-man roster when Hassanein signed before rookie camp last week. The exemption will carry over to training camp.
In the regular season, players who qualify for IPP exemptions are eligible to fill a 17th spot on a team's practice squad. If they make the 53-man roster, the team does not get an extra practice squad spot.
Hassanein is expected to compete for a rotational spot at defensive end for the Lions this fall.
The Lions currently have two open spots on their offseason roster.
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline."
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Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions gain roster spot for selection of DE Ahmed Hassanein
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