With OTAs and minicamp wrapped up for the Detroit Lions, it’s time for the annual positional breakdown series. Today we’re looking at every wide receiver on Detroit’s roster, what they bring to the table, and whether they have a realistic shot at making the 53-man roster in 2026.

Amon-Ra St. Brown

We all know what he brings. Amon-Ra St. Brown is probably the best slot receiver in the NFL. You can expect at least 1,400 yards, 10 touchdowns, and over 115 receptions. Don’t expect much to change with Drew Petzing now running the offense. St. Brown is going to get a ton of targets.

Jameson Williams

I expect Williams to go over 1,000 yards again, but I don’t expect him to go much over that. The Lions have a lot of weapons, and Williams is going to have to share the load. The thing Detroit really wants to get out of him is that deep ball. They have been trying to unlock that for years, and they believe Petzing and Mike Kafka can do it. Williams is the ultimate field stretcher for the Lions, so he should be the guy who makes it happen.

One of the big things that should help is all the work Williams has done on tracking and catching deep balls this offseason. In the past, you would often see him looking up, trying to find the ball in the air, looking left, looking right. Sometimes that didn’t matter, and he would catch it anyway. Other times, it did affect him, and he would drop the ball. These are things that absolutely needed to be fixed, and Williams deserves some praise for going out and working on them.

Isaac TeSlaa

I do expect a much bigger season from TeSlaa, but if you’re thinking 1,000 yards, that is not at all what you should be expecting. Look more at what the Lions did with Josh Reynolds and Tim Patrick in the past. Reynolds is the best comparison for what TeSlaa can be for Detroit. In 2023, Reynolds had 40 catches, and 38 of them were first downs. A lot of 10- and 15-yard passes over the middle. I think that is exactly TeSlaa’s wheelhouse, but I also believe he’s going to be a big red zone threat. Look for him to have four or five touchdowns because he can go up and high-point the ball and win contested catches. We already saw him do some of those spectacular things, and I expect more of that in 2026.

Greg Dortch

Dortch is kind of a wild card. You expect him to be what Khalif Raymond was for Detroit before: special teams work as a return man, gadget plays, and a guy who can get out in space and make things happen. Petzing loved to use him in Arizona, so it makes you wonder how much the Lions will feature him. But there are a lot of targets to go around between Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and everyone else. I don’t expect Dortch to go off for a huge season, but I do expect him to play a real role in the offense.

Jackson Meeks

Meeks is listed as a receiver right now, but I expect him to be a full-on tight end by the time everyone gets out of pads and training camp. He has some potential as a red zone threat, and I like him a lot as a tight end because he could be another receiving weapon who shocks people. The good thing is he has put on some weight, which should help with blocking.

Tom Kennedy

The Lions are basically legally required to put Tom Kennedy on their practice squad at this point. But he might actually earn a spot on the 53-man roster because, at the end of 2025, he was returning kicks and doing a good job at it. If he wins that return role at training camp, he might win a roster spot.

Malik Cunningham

Cunningham is a quarterback-receiver hybrid whose ceiling is probably a practice squad spot.

Dominic Lovett

A seventh-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft, he was supposed to be the Kalif Raymond replacement but rarely saw the field. With Kendrick Law out for the season with a torn ACL, Lovett has a new lease on life and could make the roster if he shows he can be a gunner and return man.

Cedric Wilson

He has looked decent at OTAs, but it’s hard to see him as anything beyond a camp body at this point.

Tarik Black

A former Michigan Wolverine signed from the UFL, has size and some playmaking ability, but needs to prove he can contribute on special teams.

Lucky Jackson

He is a reliable catcher who doesn’t create much separation. The comp is Donovan Peoples-Jones, who did not work out in Detroit.

Tay Martin

Another UFL signing, he can high-point the ball and win contested catches, and I’m intrigued to see what he does at camp. has some special teams ability worth watching.

Lawrence Keys III

The fourth UFL receiver Detroit signed. He’s a pretty sure handed receiver, but has a long road ahead of him if he hopes to make the Lions’ 53-man roster.