Detroit Lions' OTAs observations: A peek at WR depth after Golladay, Jones

Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Lions weren't particularly deep at the wide receiver position last season, something that became abundantly clear after they traded Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles and Marvin Jones went down with a season-ending knee injury.

And they didn't do much to improve the unit this offseason.

So it was interesting to watch Day 2 of organized team activities on Wednesday as the Lions went through practice with a motley group of receivers.

Both Jones and Kenny Golladay worked as part of the rehab group, which left Danny Amendola and Andy Jones as the Lions' Nos. 1 and 2 pass catchers.

Amendola has a lengthy NFL resume, but he's coming off a season in which he averaged just 9.7 yards per catch. He's expected to play as the Lions' slot receiver this fall, though that position will be somewhat de-emphasized as the team moves towards more two tight end sets.

Lions receiver Marvin Jones after scoring a touchdown during the second half against the Patriots on Sept. 23, 2018 at Ford Field.

Jones was a solid special-teams player in part-time work last season, and that's his surest path to a roster spot this fall. With Amendola, Golladay and Marvin Jones locked into roster spots, and T.J. Hockenson and Jesse James sure to see plenty of playing time, whoever wins the fourth (and perhaps fifth) wide-receiver jobs will need to be a core player on kick and punt coverage.

Neither Amendola nor Andy Jones did anything outstanding in practice Tuesday, but a couple receivers did catch my eye. Brandon Powell, who played sparingly as an undrafted rookie last year, looked quicker than every other receiver in a change-of-direction drill the Lions did midway through practice. Rookie sixth-round pick Travis Fulgham made a nice catch for a touchdown to end a red-zone period towards the end of the day. And Chris Lacy had the catch of practice when he showed great concentration to secure a pass that was tipped by Marcus Cooper.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Chris Lacy (18) turns after a catch during practice at the Lions Headquarters and Training Facility on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.

Lacy was feted with "oohs" and "aahs" from his teammates for his catch.

As for Golladay and Marvin Jones, who's returning from December knee surgery, both players seemed to be moving well as they worked on the side so there's no real alarm in their absence. And Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said there's some benefit in getting to throw more with some of the team's new faces anyway.

More:How football helped Stafford cope with wife's health scare

"I think it’s really good for those guys to come in and get opportunities," Stafford said. "Some of those guys I played some late last year with. Obviously, Danny, haven’t played any games with him, so it’s been nice to get out there and throw the ball around to him a little bit. Mix in a bunch of tight ends, backs. This time of year is so much more, let’s learn the fundamentals of this offense, let’s get back to the fundamentals of the game. It’s such a basic part of the year that it’s really good for everybody to just get opportunities to go out there and kind of play ball."

More observations from Wednesday's practice:

Detroit Lions first-round draft pick T.J. Hockenson talks with reporters Friday, April 26, 2019 at the practice facility in Allen Park.

• Hockenson made a strong impression in his first public practice as a Lion. I think he'll have to add some weight before he fully realizes his potential as a blocker (though with no pads on, that aspect of his game wasn't exactly on display Wednesday), but he did run himself wide open for a touchdown in a seven-on-seven period late in practice.

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• Christian Jones remains a starter at linebacker even after the Lions spent a second-round pick on Jahlani Tavai, and Jones showed why Wednesday when he followed that Hockenson touchdown catch with a nice pass breakup on a play over the middle.

Jones didn't do anything spectacular last year, but he was a solid player with 69 tackles.

More:Hawaii LB coach: Jahlani Tavai a 'plug-and-play' contributor

• Darius Slay would like a new contract and is not participating in OTAs, and Justin Coleman worked with the rehab group Wednesday, which meant Teez Tabor took some No. 1 reps at cornerback. Tabor intercepted a Connor Cook pass in the same red-zone drill that Fulgham capped with a touchdown, and he'll have to continue to make plays like that to keep his roster spot this fall.

Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph catches a pass over Detroit Lions cornerback Teez Tabor during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium, Nov. 4, 2018 in Minneapolis.

Slay, Coleman and Rashaan Melvin are the Lions' top three cornerbacks, with rookie Amani Oruwariye a good bet for another spot. Tabor's competition for the No. 5 job (though that spot likely will be active ahead of Oruwariye) is, among others, Michael Ford and Jamal Agnew, who's worth keeping around as a return man/slot corner.

Frank Ragnow worked at center for the second straight day and it shouldn't surprise anyone if he keeps that spot going forward. The Lions took him in Round 1 for a reason. Graham Glasgow looks like the Lions' right guard this fall, and Kenny Wiggins, who made 10 starts at right guard last year, took first-team reps at left guard.

• A couple final random observations: Jalen Reeves-Maybin is trying to immerse himself in the defense after missing most of last season with injury. I saw both Reeves-Maybin and Steve Longa dip their head into the defensive huddle during one rush period so they could hear the call even though they weren't on the field. I like John Atkins' chances of making the team as a backup defensive lineman. He played well in a late-season cameo last year should benefit from extra reps now with Damon Harrison skipping OTAs. And if it's not Agnew or Amendola, Tommylee Lewis could be the Lions' primary punt returner this fall.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.