Lions 2025 draft: A wide receiver prospect for every round

[ASFN Admin]

After hitting the offensive tackles and pass rushers already, the next position up in the "prospect for each round" series for the Lions is the wide receivers.

The Lions aren't going to draft a wideout in each round, of course. The goal here is to show which types of talents are fits for the Lions in each round of the draft to help identify talents, and also the relative value that projects to be available for GM Brad Holmes in those rounds. As an example, here's one from 2022 identifying Malcolm Rodriguez as a sixth-round LB for the Lions.

Detroit doesn't currently have a pick in the fifth round, but trades happen all the time, so it's included here. Prospects for the first three rounds here are skewed toward where the Lions will currently select in each round: No. 28, 60 and 102 overall, respectively. The approximate draft round projections are as of March 25th.

State of the position​

Detroit is set at one spot with All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown. He's one of the brightest young stars in the league and is just entering his prime years on a lucrative contract extension signed last year. Jameson Williams topped 1,000 yards in his third NFL season as the team's primary downfield threat, thanks in part to an increased usage in other facets of the passing game. They're a fantastic 1-2 punch. Beyond them...

Big Tim Patrick is back for another season as the possession-type receiver with size. He's 31, missed multiple seasons with separate injuries, and is signed for just one year. Speedy Kalif Raymond turns 31 this summer and is entering the final year of his contract. Raymond doubles as the Lions' primary return specialist. Antoine Green was waived and took an injury settlement due to a severe brain injury suffered last preseason. He's technically still on the Lions roster after reverting to the I.R., but his future status is unknown.

First round: Luther Burden, Missouri​

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If you had said Burden would be available at No. 28 overall back in September, folks would have laughed hysterically. He was a top-10 overall fixture in mock drafts and prospect rankings. But a subpar 2024 season at Mizzou — some of it clearly out of his own control — has opened the possibility that he falls to at least the range where Lions GM Brad Holmes could trade up to land the 6-foot, 206-pound playmaker in the manner of how Detroit selected CB Terrion Arnold in 2024.

For a very detailed look at Burden, check out Russ Brown's breakdown here.

Positives

• Impressive route runner to all levels of the field
• Plays bigger than his 6-foot, 206-pound build would suggest
• Elite at creating after the catch from the slot and on quick-hits to the outside
• Very polished footwork
• Above-average athlete with elite open-field speed and body control
• Can make the difficult catch away from his body
• Plays with an alpha dawg mindset

Negatives

• Played almost exclusively in the slot the last two seasons, which stunted his development as an outside receiver
• Showed some disinterest in his routes when not part of the receiving plan
• Needs to learn to work back to the QB better on extended/broken plays
• Blocking effort is there but the effectiveness underwhelms

Second round: Elic Ayomanor, Stanford​

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Ayomanor is a classic Z receiver who plays bigger than his listed 6-foot-2, 206-pound frame would suggest. A Canadian native who was also a track standout while in high school in New Jersey, the Cardinal standout was recruited to Stanford by then-head coach David Shaw, now the Lions' passing game coordinator

What I like:

• He's big and embraces playing with size as his primary asset
• Best-in-class blocker in the run and post-catch game
• Can stop and pivot back to the QB on a dime
• Can go get the ball and secure it quickly in contested-catch situations and in the red zone
• Can stack the outside CB with his speed and ability to change stride lengths
• High-end long speed on deep routes
• Showed growth in his releases versus man coverage

Negatives:

• Stiff after the catch
• Lets too many catches go through his hands; 12 drops in two seasons
• His athletic testing and track background do not translate to the field effectively
• Can get leggy and upright when breaking inside and out of the slot
• Missed two full years (2021 and 2022) with separate knee injuries
• Has played just three seasons (not counting the injury years) of American football

Third round: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State​

You can probably flip the order between Higgins and Ayomanor, as both project to be taken anywhere between 50 and 100 overall. Higgins ranks higher for me personally but I can see the Lions (and other teams) prioritizing Ayomanor's particular set of skills a little earlier in the draft. Higgins played in college under new Lions TE coach Tyler Roehl (he was ISU's assistant head coach) at Iowa State, if you're looking for a Detroit connection.

What I like:

• Great size and length on the outside or in the slot
• Effective short-area quickness and an ability to shorten his stride to create space
• Very good with the ball in the air with his length and toughness; good at contested catches and designed jump balls
• Just 3 drops in over 200 targets in two years at Iowa State
• Can reliably catch the ball away from his frame
• Experienced as a heavy slot
• Effective and willing blocker with solid technique, though he will hold at times

Negatives:

• Lacks long speed; top speed at Senior Bowl practices was 19.8 but Higgins doesn't consistently play with that speed
• Struggles to get off jams and doesn't protect his chest well on his release at the line
• Big target to tackle and not very elusive after the catch
• Higgins isn't stiff, but he's not going to impress with flexibility or wiggle in his routes
• Needs to work on consistency of timing on his routes

Fourth round: Tory Horton, Colorado State​

Another prospect who could wind up being taken a round higher than listed here, though a lingering injury that has prevented him from working out figures to limit Horton's draft ceiling. A 6-foot-2, 196-pound outside-only receiver, Horton played two years at Nevada before transferring for his final three years at Colorado State.

What I like:

• Sudden speed and burst out of breaks
• Aggressively snags the ball from the air with very strong hands
• Stays low and balanced throughout his route
• Has an extra gear with the ball in the air and after the catch
• Lots of positive experience working the intermediate routes in the middle of the field, a Lions' offensive staple
• Two-time team captain

Negatives:

• Ran a very limited route tree at CSU
• Needs to play stronger/more physically to succeed at the same things in the NFL that he did in college
• Currently coming off a torn ACL from last October
• Can be late to recognize his blocking assignment

Fifth round: Ja'Corey Brooks, Louisville​

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A personal fave of a draft riser, Brooks exploded in his final season after transferring from Alabama to Louisville. His skills compare to a much taller version of Detroit's Kalif Raymond, who is entering the final year of his contract.

What I like:

• Longer than he appears at 6-2 and 184 pounds
• Fast feet off the line, but doesn't waste steps or energy on getting into routes (aka the TikTok routes)
• Changes speeds and strides well to create separation
• Very adept at finding the holes in the zone and not drifting out of them
• Flashes hard on comeback routes
• Really good at selling defensive pass interference calls--led the country in drawing DPI (9 in 12 games)

Negatives:

• Doesn't have great acceleration off the line
• Couldn't get on the field consistently at Alabama and didn't produce a lot there
• Frequently goes down on first contact after the catch
• Has some concentration drops
• Effort on blocking is better than his effectiveness; lacks physical strength to be more than a dancing bear

Sixth round: Isaac TeSlaa, Arkansas​

Former D-II standout at Hillsdale who spent his final two seasons at Arkansas, TeSlaa is an athletically gifted big wideout (6-foot-4/214) from West Michigan who is more of a developmental prospect.

What I like:

• Height-weight-speed athlete with high-end NFL Scouting Combine testing that shows on the field
• Natural catcher of the ball away from his frame
• Effective, high-effort blocker
• Strong and secure hands in traffic over the middle
• Creative after the catch and offers some gadget-play and return specialist versatility
• Explosive leaper with innate timing to go get the ball

Negatives:

• Played almost exclusively in the slot at Arkansas but might project better as an outside receiver--which could cause transition issues at the next level
• Change of direction skills on the field don't match his athletic testing
• Rounds his routes and his footwork lacks crispness and urgency from the slot
• Gets pushed off his line a little too easily for a bigger receiver
• Oddly short arms (31 inches) for a 6-foot-4 target

Seventh round: Jaylin Lane, Virginia Tech​

A speedy slot receiver who spent three seasons at MTSU before heading to Virginia Tech for his final two years, Lane offers a lot of dynamic ability with the ball in his hands as a receiver, runner and return man.

What I like​

• Elite top-end speed
• Creative vision with the ball; sets up and attacks off blocks very well
• Coach's son shows in his football IQ and high effort level
• Offers high-end return potential and subpackage RB options
• Blows through zones when coming out of the slot but can also stop and sit in the hole if needed
• Transitions quickly from receiver to runner

Negatives:

• Dances too much before getting into his routes at times
• Subpar playing strength, can get rerouted or pushed off his line
• Can be too passive in waiting for the ball to get to him instead of attacking it in the air
• Puts effort into blocking but needs both strength and technical growth
• Great long speed but it's not sudden off the line

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Lions 2025 draft: A wide receiver prospect for every round

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