The starters at wide receiver for the Detroit Lions -- Marvin Jones and Golden Tate -- are good. And set. Everything else at the position is a giant question mark. That includes whether or not Anquan Boldin will return, as well as the viability of a bunch of players to be a No. 3 receiver.
Can TJ Jones take the next step in his production to be the team’s No. 3? What about Jace Billingsley? Was Keshawn Martin brought in to be a return candidate, or does he have a legit spot at becoming a reliable receiver for the Lions? Will one of the other depth receivers make a surprising move up the depth chart?
Of course, much of this might get answered by what Detroit does in the draft, where looking at mid-round receivers seems to be one of the main focuses of Bob Quinn during his evaluation process. Detroit brought in Northern Illinois receiver Kenny Golladay last week and, according to the Detroit Free Press, had Penn State’s Chris Godwin, Mississippi’s Damore'ea Stringfellow and Baylor’s K.D. Cannon in as well.
What the Lions have: Marvin Jones (starter), Golden Tate (starter), TJ Jones, Jace Billingsley, Keshawn Martin, Jared Abbrederis, Ryan Spadola, Andrew Turzilli.
Chances the Lions draft a player at this position: 85 percent
Need level (out of five): 4
Players to watch in the draft:
JuJu Smith-Schuster, USC: He has the talent to be a borderline first-round pick, and if he’s there in the second round, he could be a steal/value pick for Detroit. That his NFL.com comparison is Anquan Boldin should tell you everything you need to know about him since Boldin was with the Lions last year. He’s a tough receiver with good hands and physical enough to be a high-level blocker. He’s the No. 4 receiver according to Scouts, Inc. and had 143 career catches for 2,178 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Chris Godwin, Penn State: The 6-foot-1 Godwin is primarily an outside receiver and had 153 catches for 2,404 career yards with 18 touchdowns. The No. 9 receiver in his class, he’s been a riser up draft boards throughout the months-long process. He caught 64.1 percent of passes thrown to him, according to Pro Football Focus, and is good at catching the ball at its highest point. His drop rate (7.8 last year, according to PFF) is a bit concerning.
Jehu Chesson, Michigan: The No. 19 receiver according to Scouts, Inc., he has the size the Lions would like in an outside receiver at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds. He caught 114 passes for 1,639 yards and 12 touchdowns at Michigan and could be intriguing as a kick returner, considering he averaged 33.7 yards a return (on six career returns). He is also good making catches in the air. This is a very, very small factor, but he had extremely good chemistry with Lions backup quarterback Jake Rudock at Michigan.
Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois: The No. 33 receiver according Scouts, Inc. was in for a visit and has the size the Lions want at 6-foot-4. He played two seasons at Northern Illinois, converting 160 catches into 2,285 yards and 18 touchdowns after transferring from North Dakota. That size would be attractive in the red zone and he’d be able to push Tate into a dangerous slot position in three receiver sets, but he’d be a bit more of a long-term project. With Detroit’s starters at receiver, that’s OK, though.
Isaiah Ford, Virginia Tech: There’s little question about Ford’s athleticism, and he’s a strong deep threat at 6-foot-1, 194 pounds. He’s a good over-the-middle receiver due to strong route-running. The No. 27 receiver according to Scouts, Inc. had 210 career catches for 2,967 yards and 24 touchdowns -- including back-to-back 1,000-yards seasons in 2015 and 2016. He could be a strong candidate as a third-or-fourth round pick for Detroit.
Josh Malone, Tennessee: He had 104 catches for 1,608 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career and is the No. 15 receiver according to Scouts, Inc. At 6-foot-3, 208 pounds, he has good size and ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
