Tag: Detroit Lions wide receivers

Donovan Peoples-Jones should be outside looking in at the Detroit Lions roster

Wideout Donovan Peoples-Jones should be on the outside looking in at the Detroit Lions roster after a rough preseason

Last year during the NFL Trade Deadline, the Detroit Lions made somewhat of a surprising move by trading for Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Lions gave up a 6th round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to acquire him from the Cleveland Browns.

Certainly, it was a roll of the dice for a receiver who had recorded 61 receptions for 839 yards in 2022. But that roll of the dice only led to five receptions for 58 yards in Detroit. Despite resigning with the Lions this off-season, it sure feels like Peoples-Jones is on his way out.

Through parts of the summer, head coach Dan Campbell stated that he “wants to see more” from DPJ. Unfortunately, I don’t think that happened. Through the preseason, he recorded 2 receptions for 31 yards on 9 targets and he did have a drop against the Steelers on Saturday. Let’s dive into some film to look at what’s been going wrong for DPJ in Detroit.

Whenever a talented receiver is fighting for a roster spot, there’s always an assumption that the player could be competing at a position that is stacked with talent. While the Lions do have Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams sitting atop of the depth chart at receiver, it’s still wide open behind them.

Let’s look at the play above to see one of the routes ran by Peoples-Jones. The Lions come out 2×2 and you can see Peoples-Jones bunched with Isaiah Williams at the top of the screen. Him and Williams will be running a bench concept (corner route and out route) and they’re the 1st and 2nd read for quarterback Hendon Hooker.

As you can see after the snap, Hooker is staring at both receivers to his right. The cornerback is in good positioning on the out route ran by Isaiah Williams. However, the corner route by Peoples-Jones is too slow and rounded. This causes a delay from Hooker and essentially, he has to look off and throw underneath to Tom Kennedy.

Next I want to highlight a route across the middle of the field by Peoples-Jones. Looking at the play above, the Lions will be throwing out of a trips left formation. To the right of the formation (bottom of the screen) is DPJ.

Once the ball is snapped, you can see him run across the middle of the field on a shallow cross. While I may not know how long he’s supposed to run this route before looking at the quarterback, I would have to assume it’s within 2 or 3 seconds. That’s just the average time a quarterback has to get a throw off.

Certainly, the pass from Hooker is less than ideal. The pass is located somewhat low but a twist line stunt in the middle of this 5-man pressures forces him to hurry the throw. Meanwhile, it does take Peoples-Jones up to 2 or 3 seconds just to get across and he never looks to see if or when the ball is being thrown.

Lastly I want to focus on a dropped pass from Peoples-Jones. Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Lions come out 2×2 with Peoples-Jones on the right (top of the screen).

Once the ball is snapped, he runs a hitch route. While the cornerback does almost jump this pass and take it to the house, he doesn’t end up making contact with the ball at all. In fact, the ball gets by and bounces off the hands of Peoples-Jones. As a veteran receiver fighting for a roster spot, these types of drops can’t happen.

Overall, it’s been a disappointing summer for DPJ. It’s unfortunate because there’s always been so much potential with him. However, he looks slower than he ever has on a football field and the final preseason game on Saturday may be his last one in a Lions uniform.

His route running ability wasn’t crisp against the Steelers. With most of his routes being rounded or taking too long to develop, it led to him only being targeted three times. Unfortunately, he didn’t catch any of them. Adding to that, he was supposed to be one of the key blockers on a designed screen pass to tight end Shane Zylstra and he missed his block completely.

The door was wide open for Peoples-Jones to lockup the 4th receiver spot on the roster. He had the size and experience over other receivers such as Isaiah Williams, Tom Kennedy and others. However, the lackluster performances have piled up and it seemingly has closed the door on any chance for Peoples-Jones to make the Detroit Lions roster.

This WR is a good sleeper to make the Lions 53-man roster

Under-the-radar WR Tre’Quan Smith is a good sleeper to make the Lions 53-man roster

When looking at the Detroit Lions depth chart, there’s some uncertainty at wide receiver after Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Last season, the third receiver was Josh Reynolds but he signed with Denver this off-season.

This leads to a guessing game of who will step up. It could be Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones or Isaiah Williams. However, there’s one receiver that we’re not talking about and that player is Tre’Quan Smith.

Last summer, Smith underwent groin surgery and barely played in 2023 due to that injury. He only played 10 snaps in week 8 against the Chiefs. While there’s obvious concerns about the groin, there’s a chance for Smith to get a fresh start in Detroit.

It’s the same fresh start that was given to Josh Reynolds, Charles Harris, John Cominsky and others. These fresh starts in Detroit seemed to rejuvenate the careers of those players and the hope is that the same occurs for Smith.

When healthy in New Orleans, the results were positive for Smith. Oddly enough, the production was similar to what we saw from Josh Reynolds in Detroit. Let’s dive into some film from 2021 and 2022 on Tre’Quan Smith to see why he could be a surprise addition to the Lions 53-man roster.

When watching film on Tre’Quan Smith, one of the first things you’ll notice is the inconsistent quarterback play. During my film study on him, I noticed he had caught passes from Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian and Jameis Winston. That said, he does a great job with running routes and getting open in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

Looking at the play above, you’ll see the Saints come out in a 2×2 set. In the slot on the left side of the formation (top), you’ll see Tre’Quan Smith (Saints WR #10). Once the ball is snapped, he chips the defensive end aligned on his inside shoulder. As he bounces off the defender, he runs a drag route over the middle of the field.

Despite it being 2nd and long, Smith finds an opening and secures the pass for a gain of 6 or 7 yards. This gain was enough to get back to the original line of scrimmage.

Moving to the next play, you’ll see another 2×2 set by the Saints. This time it’s against the Buccaneers. On this play, you can find Smith on the bottom or the screen and once the ball is snapped, he runs a quick out. With the defender in off-coverage, Smith is able to get open and this creates a clean passing window for the quarterback.

After securing the catch, Smith shakes off the initial tackler and runs downfield to gain additional yardage. In the 67 games he’s played in his career, Smith has been able to record 1,764 receiving yards and 541 yards have been gained after contact.

The next play I want to highlight is a corner route ran by Smith against the Titans. Looking at the play above, the Saints come out in a Twins Left formation. Condensed to the right side are the tight end and Smith. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll notice the tight end blocking in pass protection and most importantly, you’ll see Smith throttling down like he was going to crack block the linebacker.

This forces the safety to bite on the potential block and coming off play-action, the quarterback keeps the ball and fires it to Smith. Wide open, there’s plenty of room for him to make the catch and enter the end zone with ease. During his career with the Saints, he had 131 receptions on 196 targets and it led to 1764 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns.

Lastly, I want to focus on another out route by Smith. Looking at the play above, Smith is aligned in the slot to the right of the offensive line. On this play, he sets up as if he’s going to block for the run but then he cuts to the sideline and is open on the out route.

Coming off play-action, you’ll see Taysom Hill rolling to his right. He notices the window and delivers a good ball to Smith. Once he secures the catch, he turns upfield and stretches the ball out to try and pickup the first down.

When looking into the PFF stats for Smith, there’s a lot of similar production to what we saw from Josh Reynolds in Detroit. For example in 2022, Smith earned a 69.0 overall grade and Reynolds earned a 64.1 overall grade. In 2021, they were even more similar with Reynolds earning an overall grade of 65.9 and Smith had a 62.7 overall grade.

Much of what happens with Smith and his roster status will depend on if he can stay healthy. When he’s not injured, there’s a lot of positives to his game. For starters, he’s a bigger bodied receiver at 6’2″ and 203 pounds. Meanwhile, he does a really good job at getting open in the short and intermediate areas. He plays tough and is a consistent blocker when picking up second and third level defenders.

Expectations for Smith shouldn’t be sky high. But if the Lions are searching for a player to have similar contributions to what Josh Reynolds did in Detroit, they may be able to find it with Smith playing that role. As training camp gets underway, Smith is my surprise pick to make the 53-man roster for the Lions.

Video: Breaking down the Lions WR room entering training camp

Video: Breaking down the Lions WR room entering training camp via the Detroit Lions Podcast

The latest in the series of Lions positional breakdowns from the Detroit Lions Podcast is now available. In this episode, the focus turns to the wide receiver room.

The Lions enter training camp with 12 receivers on the 90-man roster, and the top three spots are pretty well established. It all starts with All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown, who is the focal point of the passing offense. Jameson Williams is being relied upon to make a big jump in his third year, while Kalif Raymond continues to fly under the radar despite some impressive production in his three years in Detroit.

After that, Detroit has one of the bigger camp battles set to fill the final two or three spots and a lot of divergent styles of players looking to earn those roles. Who will emerge from a group that includes Donovan Peoples-Jones, Daurice Fountain, Tom Kennedy, Antoine Green and others? How much does special teams play factor in?

All that gets broken down in this solo video. An audio-only version will be available from your favorite podcast provider, too.

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Detroit Lions may have a steal with Illinois WR Isaiah Williams

Detroit Lions may have a steal with Illinois WR Isaiah Williams as an undrafted free agent

Adding to their strong 2024 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions made another great move hours after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. This move was signing Illinois WR Isaiah Williams to a contract as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). Certainly, Williams will need to prove himself but he appears to be worth rolling the dice on as a player.

For starters, he’s experienced with 37 games played at wide receiver over the last 3 seasons. Prior to playing wide receiver at Illinois, Williams was a quarterback and he had four starts in 2020 at the position.

Over the last two seasons, he’s recorded 82 receptions in each season and it’s clear that he was the best playmaker for the Illinois offense. Looking at his pre-draft process, Williams checked into the Scouting Combine with the following measurements (per Mockdraftable):

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Even though the 40-yard dash time of 4.63 seconds is less than ideal for his athletic profile, I think Williams plays faster than he tested. After all, he did run a 4.57 time at the Illinois Pro Day. However, play speed is far more important than track speed and that could be the case here.

Most importantly, the Lions appear to feel the same way. They gave him a guaranteed contract at $240,000 total guaranteed. That amount of money guaranteed is more than a typical UDFA deal. For example, the Lions signed Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim to $100,000 guaranteed last year.

That was basically the same money as being a seventh-round pick in the NFL Draft. So for Williams to get the amount he got is a bit telling. Let’s jump into some tape to take a look at what Isaiah Williams provides the Lions depth chart at wide receiver.

Looking at the first play, you can see Williams aligned to the right of the formation. Once the ball is snapped, he runs vertically upfield and towards the safety in the middle of the field. As the safety begins to prepare for the potential vertical route, that’s when Williams breaks over the middle of the field and towards the sideline on a deep over route. Once there’s enough separation between him and the defender, that’s when the pass is delivered right into his hands for the first down.

Next, I want to showcase the ability to adjust on the football while running vertically. Looking at the play above, the Fighting Illini come out in a trips left formation. Highlighted, you can see Williams aligned as the ‘Y’ to the trips side. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll notice Williams running a wheel route up the numbers.

Despite creating some, not a ton of separation, the ball is thrown towards his back shoulder. With the ball in the air, you can see him make a great adjustment on the football. This leads to a secured catch and first down for the Illinois offense.

Alignment versatility is important for players on offense and defense. For Isaiah Williams it is a vital part of his game and it impacts his usage in the offense. There are plenty of clips where you’ll see him used on pre-snap jet, exit and orbit motions for the offense. Additionally, he will take handoffs during a jet motion or when he’s aligned in the backfield.

For example, the play above shows Williams aligned in the backfield as the running back. It’s not unfamiliar territory for him as he’s a former quarterback. With the play above, the ball is snapped and he takes a hand off from the quarterback on a zone run. As his eyes look to the perimeter, he notices an opening and he bends this run back inside. He gets upfield and gains 5 yards on this carry.

Despite playing quarterback, Williams is naturally gifted as a receiver and that showed during his redshirt freshman season. Per the Illinois team site, he was 3rd in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions with 47 of them. He was only behind Texas’ Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56) for that season.

When putting some clips together, I felt like Williams was comparable to Jayden Reed of the Green Bay Packers. Certainly, he may not have the same straight line speed as the former Michigan State Spartan but his movement skills and usage in the offense were similar to Reed.

As you can see in the clips highlighted above, Williams is versatile and can align anywhere on the offense. He’s elusive after the catch and he plays tough over the middle of the field. Add in the fact that he’s got return ability for the Lions special teams unit and I think he becomes even more valuable.

Drops are a concern and the pacing of his routes aren’t always consistent but I do believe the inconsistent quarterback play at Illinois was a factor. Getting the timing down with Jared Goff or Hendon Hooker will be important for his transition and development with the Lions.

Most of us had assumed that the Lions would spend a day two pick on a pass-catcher. In fact, there was a thought that the Lions could aggressive and move up on day one for a wide receiver. However, the Lions waited and added talent to other positions that desperately needed improvements.

With that, it opens the door for Williams to crack the 53-man roster. Sure, he’s got his work cut out for him with Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tre’Quan Smith and Tom Kennedy also battling for that 4th and 5th receiver spot. But with how the tape looks, it feels as if Williams will get his opportunities and how he capitalizes on those chances will determine where he fits in Detroit. Despite being a UDFA, he looks like a sleeper that could carve out a role early in his career.

Lions WR battle will be some closely watched roster cuts

The Detroit Lions have three wide receivers who are vying to make the team and they did make it easy for the Lions come roster cuts

The Detroit Lions finished their preseason on a high note by defeating the Carolina Panthers. However, their work is not done yet as they must decide on their final roster before facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Lions have already made some roster moves to try and find new homes for their veterans before Tuesday’s deadline.

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One of the toughest decisions the Lions face is determining who will be the WR 5-6 for the team. Each player vying for the position has shown potential and could justify making the team. This decision is especially important with the Jameson Williams suspension leaving a gap in the wide receiver room. The Lions will choose between Antonie Green, Dylan Drummond, and Chase Cota.

Antonie Green, the Lions’ seventh-round draft pick, has steadily improved throughout training camp and preseason games. His 70-yard touchdown against the Panthers showcased his speed and size, making him a potential matchup nightmare. Green also contributed to special teams assignments, which could prove to be crucial in securing his spot on the roster.

Dylan Drummond has shown consistency throughout camp and games, proving himself to be a reliable weapon. He has played the least amount of special teams snaps out of the three receivers, but whenever the Lions needed a play, he was the go-to playmaker. Drummond finished the preseason strong with great catches, solidifying his spot as a dependable receiver.

Chase Cota has also made a case for himself with his standout performances in preseason games. He led the receiving group with 60 yards in the Lions’ first preseason game against the Giants and had a touchdown catch in the Jaguars game. However, he dropped some passes in the Panthers game, including a potential touchdown. Cota did play the most special teams snaps among the three receivers, but Kalif Raymond has secured that spot.

The battle for the fifth and sixth WR positions is a closely monitored one, with each receiver showing potential. Drummond is the top choice for his dependability, while the decision between Cota and Green is a tough one. Ultimately, Green’s improvement and tangible skills make him the preferred choice. However, Cota could still develop his skills on the practice squad. It will be interesting to see which direction the Lions go in making this decision.

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Detroit Lions rookie WR Chase Cota taking advantage of his opportunity

Cota has played well when given chances to show what he can do in Lions training camp and the preseason

The beauty of the preseason is the different backstories for each player that is fighting for their spot on the 53-man roster of an NFL team. From first-round draft picks to undrafted rookies, there’s so much intrigue with it all.

For the Detroit Lions, there have been a few intriguing names that have stood out for the team. But currently, nobody has been grabbing more attention than undrafted rookie Chase Cota. He’s a 6-foot-4, 200-pound wide receiver out of Oregon. Prior to posting 36 receptions for 497 yards with the Ducks, Cota played at UCLA for four seasons.

His father, Chad, played at Oregon and was in the NFL from 1995 to 2002 with the Panthers, Rams, Colts and Saints. Also, Chase is first cousins with his Lions teammate Brady Breeze.

For Chase Cota, he’s taken advantage of every chance he’s been given so far for the Detroit Lions. In the first preseason game, he was the most productive Lions player on offense with 4 receptions for 60 yards against the Giants. He was tied for the team lead with 7 targets in that game.

In week two of the preseason against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cota saw his production totals slip from where they were a week ago. However, he still was able to produce a touchdown and he had an impressive 28-yard punt return after the Jaguars opening drive stalled due to a holding penalty. More importantly, Cota is seeing the field more than just about any receiver on the roster.

Looking at the graphic above from Pro Football Focus (PFF), Cota played 17 snaps, and he had 11 routes run. As you can see, the only player who had more snaps than him at receiver was 7th-round pick Antoine Green. Regardless, the consecutive weeks of production is a promising sign for the undrafted receiver out of Oregon.

During training camp, head coach Dan Campbell has been asked frequently about the wide receiver room in Detroit. He’s been very upfront about anyone and everyone in that room. He’s even said, “the wide receiver room is wide open. If you want a spot, go get it.”

Players such as Dylan Drummond, Trinity Benson and Chase Cota have all been players that have been named as guys that can go get a spot. After two weeks of the preseason, Lions fans may want to get familiar with Cota. He’s continued to impress from offense to special teams. He’ll get one last chance this Friday against the Carolina Panthers to earn his spot on the Lions’ 53-man roster. No matter the outcome, it sure looks like Chase Cota is taking advantage of every opportunity he’s gotten with the Detroit Lions.

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Madden NFL 24 ratings for the Detroit Lions wide receivers

Madden NFL 24 ratings for the Detroit Lions wide receivers, headlined by Amon-Ra St. Brown

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It should come to nobody’s surprise that Amon-Ra St. Brown is the top rated receiver for the Detroit Lions in Madden ’24. After a season where he led the Lions with 106 receptions and 1,161 receiving yards, St.Brown earned an 87 overall rating.

For St. Brown, he has the highest catching on the team with a 97 overall rating for that skill. The next best is Kalif Raymond with an 88 overall rating for catching.

As for the fastest player on the team, it shouldn’t be surprising to see Jameson Williams at the top with 98 speed. The next closest to him is Kalif Raymond with 93 speed. Here’s the overall ratings for each wide receiver:

  • Amon-Ra St. Brown — 87 Overall
  • Jameson Williams — 79 Overall
  • Marvin Jones Jr. — 78 Overall
  • Josh Reynolds — 75 Overall
  • Kalif Raymond — 75 Overall
  • Tom Kennedy — 69 Overall
  • Trinity Benson — 67 Overall
  • Antoine Green — 66 Overall
  • Maurice Alexander — 63 Overall

Yesterday, the Lions traded for New York Jets receiver Denzel Mims. He’s rated a 70 overall with 92 speed and 78 catching.

Basing the Lions receiver room off the overall ratings of each player, their depth chart should go as followed: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Marvin Jones Jr., Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and Denzel Mims.

With Jameson Williams being suspended for the first six weeks of the season, we’re unsure if players such as Tom Kennedy or Antoine Green will get a chance to play on the 53-man roster. One thing is for sure, the Lions wide receiver room has more talent now than they’ve ever had.

2023 NFL Draft: 3 receivers that could replace DJ Chark for the Lions

3 receivers that could replace DJ Chark for the Lions

As time passed during free agency, it felt like like there was a chance that D.J. Chark was going to resign with the Detroit Lions. Unfortunately, he ended up signing a one-year contract with the Carolina Panthers.

That leaves some uncertainty for the Lions at wide receiver. While they have a very good receiver in Amon-Ra St.Brown, there’s still some questions behind him on the depth chart. Josh Reynolds is a good enough WR3 in the NFL but we don’t really know what Jameson Williams is going to be yet. He could be great or he could not be but at this point, it’s hard to say.

That said, there could be a sneaky need for the Lions at wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. Let’s take a look at one receiver for each day of the 2023 NFL Draft that could interest the Detroit Lions.

Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU 

There’s much to be desired when it comes to the skill set of Quentin Johnston from TCU. He’s a bigger receiver that could translate to being a true ‘X’ receiver in the NFL. That might surprise some as Johnston didn’t always play like one at TCU.

On tape, there were times that Johnston showed his ability to run vertically down the field. In the process, there were times he would track the ball perfectly and make some spectacular catches. He does struggle with physicality from the opposition when he’s running his routes.

However, there’s a lot to like with the explosiveness and after the catch ability that Johnston has. Oddly enough, his 6’2″ and 208 pound frame is an 81.3% match to D.J. Chark, per Mockdraftable. During the 2018 NFL Draft, Chark checked into the Combine 6’2″ and 199 pounds while also posting a 40″ vertical.

While likely to be a first round pick, there’s a chance that the Lions could consider drafting Johnston with the 18th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They could very well turn to him to be a replacement for Chark and more due to his more rounded skill set.

Cedric Tillman, WR, Tennessee 

On day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, there’s going to be a very intriguing receiver being heavily talked about for just about every team. That player is Cedric Tillman from Tennessee. The preferred Volunteer receiver on my board and potentially the best true ‘X’ receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Tillman is 6’3″ and 213 pounds and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.54 seconds. While he doesn’t have blazing speed, that time is still good for a player of that size. But he doesn’t need speed to win.

He uses his frame consistently to box out defenders in jump ball situations and it allows him to have a bigger catch radius than most receivers. Meanwhile, he’s got the overall strength to withstand any type of contact from the opposition.

During 2022, he battled through an ankle injury but if fully healthy, he can certainly become the Lions next ‘X’ receiver next season. With 3 picks on day two of the 2023 NFL Draft, Lions fans should keep close tabs on Cedric Tillman from Tennessee.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton, WR, West Virginia 

If the Lions pass on a wide receiver on the first and second day of the 2023 NFL Draft, you would have to imagine that they would look for one on day three. While the wide receiver position runs deep and the Lions could look for a specific type of receiver, I’d have to think this next one would provide plenty of intrigue.

At the Scouting Combine, Bryce Ford-Wheaton did wonders for his draft stock. He checked in at 6’4″ and 221 pounds while posting a 41″ vertical and running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. Showcasing that type of speed and explosiveness should certainly shoot him up draft boards.

On the field, Ford-Wheaton isn’t a great separator but makes some great adjustments to the football. His frame allows him to win in contested catch situations and he’s got the ability to consistently run vertically down the field. During his career at West Virginia, he finished with 143 receptions for 1867 yards and 15 touchdowns.

With the Lions lacking a bigger receiver for contested catches or back shoulder throws, there could be plenty of intrigue with this prospect. Adding depth with the potential of starting is what the Lions have done well on day three of the draft. They could do that by selecting Bryce Ford-Wheaton out of West Virginia.