Potential Successors for Lions WR Marvin Jones in the 2020 NFL Draft
As the Lions head into the 2020 season, every single one of their top three receivers are in a contract year.
The hope is that an extension can be drawn up for the blossoming Kenny Golladay, but who knows what the future holds for the aging Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola in a Lions uniform.
Despite the position not necessarily being an immediate need, the Lions very well could pull the trigger early on a talented wideout in a super deep receiver class.
Let's take a look now at some potential long-term replacements for Jones, if he does, in fact, move on from Detroit:
Denzel Mims, WR, Baylor
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 207 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.38 seconds
Mims was widely considered a Day 2 prospect until he blew up at the NFL combine.
Running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash with his size is quite impressive, and may cause him to be off the board by the time the Lions are on the clock in the second round (No. 35 overall).
The Lions got a good look at Mims at the Senior Bowl, during which his body control and uncanny ability to come down with difficult catches were on display.
He will likely need to develop his route tree. But, given that he won't start in Detroit right away, he'll have an ample amount of time to continue to develop.
Tee Higgins, WR, Clemson
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 216 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.58 seconds (Pro Day)
Higgins is the antithesis of Mims.
Once considered a lock for the first round, Higgins has slowly been dropping down the receiving ranks -- mostly due to athletic concerns.
Outside of those question marks, Higgins knows how to high point the ball, win with little separation and he has quite the catch radius.
The current cast of Lions receivers also possess similar traits. So, maybe the coaching staff would be more lenient with Higgins' flaws.
Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 223 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.52 seconds
Pittman, yet another large wideout, has above average quickness -- especially for a player of his size.
He has a developed route tree, and is a player who is almost always open due to his catch radius.
He has soft, reliable hands, too.
On top of all that, he is known as a high-character individual who could also provide plenty of special teams value -- should he wait his turn for offensive snaps.
This is a player I could see the Lions highly coveting.
Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 238 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.42 seconds
Claypool was pegged more as a possible tight end until he had a phenomenal combine.
He wins with physicality.
Much like his former teammate at Notre Dame in Miles Boykin, the size/speed ratio will likely result in Claypool being overdrafted -- which could have him off the board before the Lions are willing to select him.
On tape, Claypool is still very much a work in progress in regards to his route running.
You don't see the explosiveness that he displayed at the combine.
If he can be coached up in the nuances of the position, the sky is the limit.
Bryan Edwards, WR, South Carolina
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 212 pounds
Edwards' athleticism has come into question, and a broken foot in the pre-draft process did not allow him to ease those concerns.
A four-year starter at South Carolina, he has plenty of experience, and was plenty productive. But, he still needs some refinement in his routes to create separation.
Despite having a long reel of highlight grabs, there are plenty of lack-of-focus drops and awkward ball-tracking plays as well.
Given his size, you would expect a little more ability to come down with catches in traffic.
He isn't necessarily poor in that department. It's just not an elite trait at this time for a wideout who has to use his size to win.
Overall, if Edwards is around in the middle of the draft, his potential could warrant the Lions taking a chance on him.
Van Jefferson, WR, Florida
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 pounds
As a player who is almost 24 years old and is a son of a former NFL wide receiver, Jefferson appears to be NFL ready in many aspects of the game.
Whether it be route-running, understanding how to set up corners or top-notch footwork, Jefferson plays like he was taught how to be a receiver at an early age.
Maybe not the most athletic player, but he has some nice deep speed -- something the Lions should covet in their downfield attack.
Despite being relatively healthy over the course of his college career, an unexpected Jones fracture kept him from participating at the NFL combine.
The injury could be detrimental to Jefferson's draft stock, but work in favor of a team like the Lions that is looking to take a receiver later in the draft.
Isaiah Hodgins, WR, Oregon State
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 210 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.61 seconds
The later the Lions wait to draft a receiver, the better the odds that they won't find a starter at the position.
However, in such a deep class, that may not necessarily be the case this year.
Hodgins is your typical possession receiver.
His strengths include almost never dropping a pass, a huge wingspan to catch off-target or contested throws and the ability to out-body smaller defenders.
With size sometimes comes the trade-off of speed.
He isn't going to blow by anybody or create many yards after the catch.
In later rounds of the draft -- knowing full well what Hodgins excels at -- he could provide a cheap option with starting potential down the line.
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