The Detroit Lions aren’t done at wide receiver, and general manager Brad Holmes basically told us that himself when he said carrying four receivers is a little bit on the lighter side. Detroit needs to add depth to its receiving corps, and with several veteran free agents available after final roster cuts, the Lions have options. Here are five free agent wide receivers who make sense for the Lions right now.

Brandin Cooks

Cooks is 32 now, so you’re not signing the 1,000-yard version of Brandin Cooks. That’s also not what the Lions need. They already have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa. What Cooks gives them is experience, speed, and somebody who can still play outside without needing 10 targets a game to be useful.

If Detroit wants a veteran who can step in immediately and give them dependable snaps, Cooks makes some sense. Plus, he has some experience with quarterback Jared Goff. They played together on the Rams in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. We already saw what that looks like. They got to a Super Bowl together. There’s a rapport there already.

Maurice Alexander

This is the guy I think makes the absolute most sense, and the reason is simple: he’s been here already. Alexander spent three seasons with the Lions in this system, then went with Ben Johnson to the Bears last year. Chicago decided not to add him to their roster or practice squad this year.

Here’s where it gets good. Alexander is a kick returner. It’s exactly what the Lions need right now. We’re talking about a former All-USFL team kick returner and the USFL’s kick return yards leader in 2022. He’s shown to be a decent kick returner for the Lions, too. I know it wasn’t always successful, but Detroit just doesn’t have a kick returner or a punt returner right now. It’s crazy that they don’t have those things, but they don’t.

Curtis Samuel

Samuel gives you a little bit of everything. You could play him in the slot, you could move him around, you can give him manufactured touches, kind of like what the Lions seemingly were going to do with Greg Dortch and what they did with Khalif Raymond. He’s got speed, you can use him on sweeps, you can use him on screens. That versatility matters because I don’t think the Lions necessarily need a pure outside receiver. They need somebody who can give them another element and do the gadget-type plays.

It’s not the biggest need this team has, but it’s certainly something that could help. I think Samuel could do that for you.

Zay Jones

This is probably the least exciting option, but it might be one of the safest. Jones has been productive in this league. He’s got over 300 career catches. He can play outside. He gives you a veteran who can step into a wide receiver four or five role without the Lions having to completely change what they’re doing. Jones was just released by the Texans at final cuts, so he’s another guy who’s actually available right now.

Tyler Lockett

Lockett is not the player he was in Seattle anymore, but this is still a guy who understands how to get open, understands spacing, and understands how to work with a quarterback. He could still give you something vertically. I know the Lions have Williams to take the top off of defenses, but if you can get another guy to do that, why not? The more vertical threats you can put on the field, the better.

So who should the Lions pick?

If it were my choice, I’d pick Curtis Samuel. But if it were the Lions’ choice, which it is, Maurice Alexander makes a lot of sense. We’ll see what they do in the coming days. There’s a lot that points to the idea that maybe Tom Kennedy will just take that fifth wide receiver spot, assuming Detroit is truly going for a fifth receiver. Let’s see what happens.

Detroit Lions News

7 biggest takeaways from Lions GM Brad Holmes’ presser: Detroit is still shopping, pass-rush juice was a priority, and one major signing’s playing status remains a mystery

Mike Payton 22 hours ago