The Detroit Lions had one of the most talented wide receiver rooms in the NFL last season, and may have found more talent in an unexpected place this offseason.
While the Lions invested some major draft capital in their wide receiving corps, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner believes it’s an undrafted free agent who could end up having a surprise impact. He listed one UDFA from every team to watch this offseason, noting that UMass wide receiver Jakobie Keeney-James could make a surprise run at the final roster.
Jakobie Keeney-James Called ‘Elite Athlete’
Baumgardner noted that Keeney-James didn’t have the deepest resume in college, but turned heads with some elite athletic traits. He suggested the Lions could seize the opportunity to develop him into a productive wide receiver.
“An elite athlete, Keeney-James (6-0, 190) ran a 4.37 40 with a 1.54-second 10-yard split at his pro day to go along with a 40 1/2-inch vertical, 10-6 broad jump and 4.07 short shuttle,” Baumgardner wrote. “He only had one real productive college season (51 catches, 870 yards in 2024) but has the traits to gamble on.”
The Massachusetts Daily Collegian noted that only five of the 39 receivers invited to the 2025 NFL combine ran the 40-yard dash faster than Keeney-James. The UMass wide receiver said he was locked in to perform at the pro day.
“I was able to hit that 4.3, that was my goal,” Keeney-James told the university’s newspaper. “… As I was running, it kind of felt like I was flying a little bit. [How] Usain Bolt describes that feeling, I felt that. I was able to kind of lock into that mode and execute it.”
Keeney-James said after his pro day that he was ready to make an impression on the NFL, part of the reason why he decided to go against the grain at pro day and show off his bench press.
“I’m a competitor, I wanted to prove not only to myself, but to the world, that I’m one of those ones,” Keeney-James said. “I’m one of those guys that I’ve always been a sleeper, I’ve always been an underdog. I wanted to prove to the world that I’m one of those guys. I knew if I hit a good number like 17 [reps], I’m top three and that was my goal.”
Another UDFA Wide Receiver Turning Heads
The Lions traded up in the third round of the NFL draft to land Arkansas wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa, beating out the Los Angeles Rams to trade up with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team also added some more talent in undrafted free agency, including Syracuse wide receiver Jackson Meeks.
Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team saw potential in Meeks, predicting he can grow into a WR4 or WR5 on an NFL team and would fit nearly any scheme.
“Meeks is a physical player in all phases,” Crabbs wrote. “He wins with physicality vs. press coverage and at the catch point. He wins as a blocker on the edges and in the core alike as a tone-setter to help win real estate. He’s more of a space claimer than a space creator.”
