In his Zoom teleconference with reporters on Wednesday, Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell effectively confirmed that Jamal Agnew has moved from cornerback to wide receiver. It’s a move that has been widely speculated, and it actually began last season.
“I think you saw a little bit of that right at the end of last year, right, where we kind of brought him over and gave him a few opportunities on the offensive side of the ball. We really like his skill set,” Bevell said of the 25-year-old Agnew.
Agnew caught three passes and took four carries in limited action on offense over the final nine games of 2019.
At a listed 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds, both of which seem quite generous in person, Agnew likely fits in the slot as a receiver. Similar to J.D. McKissic in 2019, Agnew has the ability to make things happen on jet sweeps and bubble screens. Like former Lion Theo Riddick, he can also potentially work out of the backfield as a motion receiver and matchup dictator.
“Right now we’re going to kind of lean that way,” Bevell said of Agnew’s move to receiver “Kind of let it go where it goes. I think he has a chance to help us.”
In all likelihood, it’s a moot point. Agnew will make the Lions, or not, based exclusively on his ability to return punts and kickoffs. The transition to full-time offense does get rid of the practice reps he took from other CBs. Agnew presents even more competition for filling the role that McKissic and Riddick filled in recent seasons, and he could also threaten Marvin Hall for the undersized vertical threat.