The Detroit Lions are still riding high on their Monday Night Football win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, which saw them taking down the Hawks for the first time since 2012. While the team’s offense has been strong under offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, there’s room for improvement, and one NFL analyst believes the Lions could get stronger by signing on a “productive” veteran wide receiver.
The Lions Could Add Depth to Their Wide Receiver Position
In an October 7 feature for Bleacher Report about prioritizing every roster’s biggest weaknesses before Week 6, NFL analyst and expert Matt Holder suggests the Lions look to sign wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins of the Tennessee Titans in 2025 free agency as way to add depth to the position.
“While Amon-Ra St. Brown is coming off an All-Pro campaign and Jameson Williams is starting to find his stride, the Lions could use one more wideout to fill the third spot on the depth chart,” Holder noted. “Also, Tim Patrick and Allen Robinson are only on one-year deals, so the team will need someone to fill the void.”
He added, “Hopkins isn’t the player he used to be, but he can still be productive with over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns last season while working with two starting quarterbacks. Also, the 32-year-old might be willing to take a cheaper deal if it means playing for a Super Bowl contender.”
Regarding the idea of Detroit bringing Hopkins, a five-time Pro Bowler, into the fold, Sports Illustrated’s Evan Massey also gives it some juice.
“Joining Detroit would give Hopkins a chance to compete for a Super Bowl,” he wrote in an October 9 piece. “In fact, he could end up being the piece that pushes the Lions over the top and into the Super Bowl.”
Massey added that while Hopkins “may not be the dominant top-five wide receiver threat that he used to be,” that “he’s still an impact player.”
Elsewhere in the Bleacher Report article, Holder suggests, for a second week in a row, the Lions sign edge Haason Reddick of the New York Jets in the fold.
“This is a repeat from last week since Reddick still hasn’t shown up in New York and Detroit still needs some help on the edge opposite of Aidan Hutchinson,” he wrote.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named Reddick as the No. 1 overall player and a good pick for the Lions in the publication’s October 2 NFL Trade Block Big Board column.
Alim McNeill Could Fit the Carolina Panthers
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill had a solid year with the Lions last season, counting 34 pressures on 348 pass-rush snaps and earning a 79.3 run-defense grade in the regular season, per Pro Football Focus. Holder writes that the Carolina Panthers should lap him up.
“Even with a healthy Derrick Brown, Carolina could use some more talent at defensive tackle,” Holder wrote. “Also, LaBryan Ray and Nick Thurman are impending free agents which will make the team even thinner at the position if those two leave in free agency.”
He added that pairing McNeill with Brown “would give the defense a fearsome defensive tackle duo. The front office is currently projected to have about $42 million of cap space available this offseason, per Over The Cap, to make it happen.”
