Would Lions Benefit From Adding WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine?

The Detroit Lions have a need for depth at the wide receiver position.

On cut day, the Lions elected to keep just four wideouts in Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa and Tay Martin. While St. Brown and Williams are established stars at the position, TeSlaa is a largely unproven young player entering his second season and Martin is expected to mostly work on special teams.

The Lions opened two roster spots by waiving running back Jabari Small and offensive lineman Seth McLaughlin. While the consensus is that both players could return on the practice squad due to injuries they suffered late in camp, the team does have two openings to fill now.

They could theoretically look to elevate a player like Tom Kennedy to help add depth to the receiver room, but there are also intriguing options out there that could add value to the receiver room. One such option is veteran Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is currently on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad.

Due to the NFL's practice squad poaching rules, the Lions could take Westbrook-Ikhine off the Colts' practice squad by signing him to the 53-man roster. He's a seasoned veteran, having logged six NFL seasons entering the 2026 campaign.

In 93 career games, Westbrook-Ikhine has recorded 137 receptions for 1,862 yards and 19 touchdowns. He spent the first five seasons of his career with the Tennessee Titans before landing last season with the Miami Dolphins.

At his best, Westbrook-Ikhine would be a reliable secondary option for the Lions' offense. He could provide insurance in the event that TeSlaa starts the season slow after an up-and-down training camp.

However, Westbrook-Ikhine couldn't make the Colts' final roster and as a result there are questions about exactly what he could offer at this stage of his career. With the Lions' receiver room being what it is from a depth perspective, though, Westbrook-Ikhine would give the team another viable option.

The Lions surprised many with their decision to release veteran slot receiver Greg Dortch, as Dortch was expected to be a replacement for Kalif Raymond. Westbrook-Ikhine would give the team a different profile of receiver, as he's more of an outside receiver, but it's worth noting that he could give the team a similar veteran presence.

The downside to Westbrook-Ikhine's skill set is that he doesn't have return experience, which is what the team needs after Dortch's release. Westbrook-Ikhine has logged over 700 special teams snaps in his career, but none have come as a returner.

On the flip side, the Lions can trust Kennedy to play in that role as he has experience returning both punts and kicks. It's uncertain whether the Lions would be willing to use both of their current roster spots on wide receivers, and if they're valuing return experience then Kennedy is the more ideal option.

However, after TeSlaa's inconsistency in training camp and the preseason, there's some legitimate value in the Lions bringing on another proven wideout to provide some stability. Westbrook-Ikhine could be exactly that for the offense.

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