Kenny Golladay is officially no longer a Detroit Lion. After signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the New York Giants, the Lions are without a top option at wide receiver. Luckily for them, this draft has loads of talent at the position. Whether the team wants to address the position on day one, or day three, there is a good chance there will be a good player on the board for the new front office to select.
Replacing Golladay is not going to be an easy task. During his four years in Detroit, he was a true number one wide receiver for Matt Stafford, and his production reflected that. A rookie wide receiver, most likely, will not match Kenny Golladay’s production in year one if Jared Goff is the quarterback for the Lions.
Will the Lions turn to the draft to replace Golladay?
There are some very good wide receivers in this class, and saying that they won’t pick up the production is not an indictment of the receiver, but rather Jared Goff. If you are a Lions fan and are expecting a player to come in and have the same deep ball and 50/50 ball production as Kenny Golladay, be warned.
Jared Goff will need a receiver who can work short and intermediate routes because it is all his arm allows. He does not have the arm strength to push the ball downfield, so he will be reliant on his receivers creating yards after the catch. Players that can play the Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp roles will be crucial.