Christian Booher of SI.com highlighted wide receivers the Lions might target in each round of the NFL draft, beginning with one of the fastest pass catchers in this year’s crop. He began with Texas receiver Matthew Golden, a first-round pick who might provide dangerous speed to the offense.
Lions Make Big Move on Offense
Booher projected the Lions will select Golden with the 28th overall choice, but he also noted that the Texas receiver’s stock has risen following a solid showing at the NFL combine.
“He has incredible speed, as proven by his 4.29 40-yard sprint in Indianapolis. Furthermore, he has excellent footwork, can run every route in the route tree, and has strong hands,” Booher stated.
Those abilities might be beneficial to the Lions and quarterback Jared Goff, who already has a Pro Bowl candidate in Amon-Ra St. Brown and two solid running backs in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Booher stated that Golden had a lot of success in college, with 58 receptions for 987 yards and nine touchdowns in his final season with the Longhorns.
“With some return ability also at his disposal, Golden could contribute at the NFL level in a number of ways,” according to Booher. “If the Lions are looking to add another burner to their crop of wideouts, Golden is one of the best options available.”
The Lions enter the NFL draft with few obvious roster deficiencies, the result of diligent team-building by general manager Brad Holmes over the last three seasons. Other experts believe the Lions will use their first-round pick to add a pass rusher to line up opposite Aidan Hutchinson, but their relatively complete roster may allow them to consider a player like Golden in the first round.
Lions Make Big Decision on Another Speedster
The Lions already have one wide receiver with exceptional speed, former first-round choice Jameson Williams, who faces a decision on his future in Detroit. As Mark Inabinett of Al.com pointed out, Williams is entering the final season of his rookie deal and will require a commitment from Detroit to stay beyond the 2025 season.
“Williams has one season left on his four-year, $17.462 million rookie contract. To keep Williams beyond the 2025 season, Detroit has three options: a new contract before the present one expires, the franchise tag next summer, or the fifth-year option,” Inabinett noted.
Though Williams has shown spurts of great play and provided pace to Detroit’s offense, he has also had a number of off-the-field difficulties during his tenure in Detroit. This includes separate punishments for gambling and breaking the league’s performance-enhancing substance policy.
If the Lions choose to choose Golden, they will have the opportunity to examine the Texas receiver throughout his rookie season and assess whether he can take over Williams’ role in the offense or if they will want to sign Williams to a new contract.
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