2020 Preview: Projecting Danny Amendola's Stats
Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. are easily the two best wide receivers on the Lions' 2020 roster. But, veteran slot receiver Danny Amendola is far from a bad No. 3 wideout.
The 12th-year pro nearly recorded a career-high in reception yards a season ago with 678 in 15 games.
His career-best mark for receiving yards came all the way back in 2010 with the then-St. Louis Rams when he amassed 689 yards in 16 games.
His first year in the Motor City was universally viewed as a success.
As for an encore, ESPN NFL prognosticator Mike Clay expects the 34-year-old to experience a similarly productive campaign.
Clay has the former Rams, Patriots and Dolphins receiver finishing with 56 receptions for 625 yards and three touchdowns.
The only two Detroit receivers that Clay has Amendola finishing behind in catches and yards are, to no surprise, Golladay (66 receptions for 1,113) and Jones (62 for 888).
Clay projects Amendola to outpace second-year Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson in the catches and yards department (56 to 54 and 625 to 621), but to trail him in the TDs department (four to three).
So, it's safe to say Clay believes that Amendola is the No. 3 target in Detroit's passing attack heading into the 2020 campaign, although not as firmly entrenched in the spot as he was a year ago.
Sure, Hockenson, the Lions' first-round pick (No. 8 overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft, is bound to eat into Amendola's targets. Yet, expect Amendola to continue to be productive out of the slot in Detroit's offense.
My personal projection for him in 2020 is a stat line of 59 receptions, 652 yards and two TDs -- a season which would once again leave Lions fans satisfied.
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