Lions On Close Call Trade Contract Proposal Claims WR With Taylor Decker Traits to Detroit…
The Detroit Lions have already traded away a third-round pick to add depth to their secondary, and a new report suggests they could trade another to land a top receiving prospect.
The Lions traded this year’s third-round pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seventh-year cornerback Carlton Davis, adding some depth and stability to a secondary lacking consistency in recent years. In a new mock draft, The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy and Nick Baumgardner suggest that the Lions will use next year’s third-round pick as part of a package that allows them to move up and take wide receiver Xavier Legette.
The mock draft predicts that the Lions will hold onto their first-round pick, using the No. 29 overall selection to land Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. But the Lions would not be satisfied keeping the No. 61 overall pick, instead sending it along with pick No. 205 and a future third-round pick to the New Orleans Saints for the No. 45 overall.
There, the Lions would land the South Carolina receiver — as long as he’s still on the board.
“The Lions met with Legette at the combine and I have a feeling they like the physicality and speed combo,” Pouncy wrote. “The only question is his range. I’ve seen him appear in some first-round mocks of late, but he also might be there at 61. A little bit of projecting here but I’m OK with it.”
Xavier Legette Would Fill Unmet Need in Detroit
Baumgardner suggested that Legette could help round out the receiving corps in Detroit by giving them a speedster with the ability to stretch the field.
“The physical traits are pretty absurd, though, and exactly what Detroit doesn’t have outside: 6-1, 221 with a 4.39 40-yard dash and a 40-inch vertical,” he wrote.
Draft insider Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted that Legette is a likely second-rounder with a mix of strong traits that could make him a starter one day.
“His star shines brightest once the ball goes up and he’s able to use his body control, play strength and ball skills to impose his will on the coverage,” Zierlein wrote. “He’s unlikely to become a smooth route runner, but he can handle tough catches and he has stealth acceleration that makes him a credible deep-ball threat. Add toughness as a runner and run blocker to his profile of competitiveness and he becomes a Day 2 talent with the potential to develop into a starter.”
Another Rising Star in Detroit
The Lions could look to another highly touted receiver to take on a bigger role in their offense. Jameson Williams, the former No. 12 overall pick, ended the 2023 season on a high note after some early inconsistency.
Williams missed the majority of his rookie season while rehabbing a torn ACL, then was suspended for the first four games of the 2023 season for violating the league’s gambling rules. Williams had a strong conclusion to the season, making 11 total catches for 159 yards over his final three games of the season. The speedy receiver ended the year with 24 catches for 354 yards and two touchdowns, adding 29 rushing yards and a rushing score.
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Could upcoming contract extensions cost Lions Taylor Decker
The Detroit Lions have made a flurry of moves this offseason. Yet, the biggest ones could be coming still.
After acquiring Carlton Davis via trade and signing DJ Reader, Kevin Zeitler and Amik Robertson among other free agents, the Lions could still hand out multiple extensions that will eat into their future cap space.
Among other candidates, quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown are in line to receive hefty multi-year extensions.
One player who carries a hefty cap hit into the 2024 season is offensive tackle Taylor Decker. The veteran who protects Goff’s blind side will count as a $19.1 million cap hit against the Lions this upcoming season. One analyst went as far as to say there is buzz about the Lions parting ways with the veteran’s contract ahead of the upcoming season.
On one hand, this is plausible. The Lions have managed to acquire talent this offseason, as they entered with one of the league’s highest available amounts. As it stands, the Lions hold $25 million in effective cap space available.
This amount would increase by just under $10 million by releasing Decker, as he carries a dead cap hit of $9.8 million. If Detroit were to decide to do this, they could increase their chances of acquiring another star on a hefty contract.
On the other hand, though, Decker is set to be a free agent after this season. If the Lions want him off the books, they could wait until the end of the season and allow him to play out his current deal. He’s entering his ninth NFL campaign, all of which have been in a Detroit uniform.
With his production, it’s hard to see the Lions parting ways with him ahead of what is expected to be a push for a Super Bowl championship in 2024. He was Detroit’s fifth-highest graded offensive player by Pro Football Focus in 2023, with an overall offensive grade of 81.1.
Decker allowed 44 pressures on 688 pass-protection snaps between the regular and postseason. His pass-rush grade via PFF was 79.4, which was among the best in his career. The veteran has been a very stable presence throughout his career, as he has finished with a pass blocking grade above 80 in four of his eight NFL campaigns.
In fact, he’s never finished with a grade in that category less than 73.
Decker has also become a valuable locker room presence. He was truly an anchor for last year’s team that made franchise history by tying the regular season wins record and pushing the group to its first division title in 30 years.
As the team’s left tackle, he’s been a big part of the organization building one of the league’s best offensive line units. If he were to be released and the Lions elected to draft his replacement, it would be a tough task for a rookie to step in and immediately perform at that high of a level.
As a result, it’s hard to see the Lions simply parting ways with the Ohio State product ahead of a pivotal season.