ALLEN PARK >> Not that there was any real question, but it’s safe to assume that the Lions have their top two receiver positions figured out.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams have combined for 45 targets through the first two games.
Behind them, it’s still a bit of a revolving door. The Lions have called up Tom Kennedy for each of their first two contests, and with UDFA rookie Isaiah Williams dealing with an abdomen injury, the team saw the debut of Tim Patrick, who was signed to the practice squad just before the season began, in last weekend’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It’s anybody’s guess as to what the game day depth chart at receiver will look like in, say, Week 9.
Patrick made two catches and almost had a wonderful toe-tapper on the sideline at full extension but couldn’t get two feet down.
But Patrick also had a fatal miscommunication with quarterback Jared Goff in the loss to Tampa Bay, resulting in Goff’s second interception of the day at a pivotal moment when Detroit was trailing, 20-16, with 7:41 left in the fourth quarter.
“He’s got some length in the red zone, but we’re still learning each other right now,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “He hasn’t been here for super long to where we know exactly what his best routes are, but we’re moving around and he’s growing that trust here with Jared every single day.”
The Lions have Patrick, Kennedy and Detroit native Allen Robinson — who was also signed right before the season — on the practice squad. However, they are only allowed to elevate each player three times before the team has to decide whether to sign them to the active roster or leave them on the practice squad full-time.
As of now, it sounds like the Lions are going to keep it rolling with Patrick getting elevated from the practice squad.
“What he knows is, ‘Hey man, I’m playing. I’m going to play,’” head coach Dan Campbell said. “So, whether you’re putting him on the roster or he’s up — we only have three of those elevations per player, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. If somebody wants to poach, then we have a decision to make.
“But until then, the plan would be to elevate him and use him. We expect to use him more this week. He’s had a good week at practice. I like him, I really do. He fits us just the way he is, the way he works, his attention to detail, and he brings a little something different to us. He’s a big guy. He’s a big target, he’s physical, he’s tough, so I’m glad he’s here.”
The Lions are hoping Isaiah Williams can return to action after being limited in practice all week. He was a late addition to the injury report a week ago and told The Detroit News that he’s currently trying to get “comfortable again.” He initially thought the injury was just a cramp.
“It’s really minor, something that, once I really start getting my strength back, which is what I’m doing now, I’ll be ready to go,” Williams said.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Patrick is the exact archetype of receiver that the Lions have been looking for since Josh Reynolds departed for the Denver Broncos in free agency. As is Robinson (6-2, 210), but he has yet to debut for the Lions.
Campbell said earlier this week that Patrick had a “positive showing” against the Buccaneers and “it’d be nice to get him a little bit more (involved).”
Receivers coach Antwaan Randle El said Robinson and Patrick are “professionals who know the game, understand it, picking up the offense really well.”
“From a standpoint of going out and putting it together and applying it to the field…they have the tools,” Randle El said. “Running routes, catching, knowing when to be there when the quarterback expects you to be there, so they have some…stripes so to speak.”
While the Lions wait for their free-agent signings to get up to speed, the first two games have presented an awesome opportunity for Kennedy, who’s still waiting for his first catch this season. Kennedy has been with the club since 2019 but hasn’t appeared in a game for Detroit since 2022. He broke his collarbone during training camp last season.
“The biggest thing for him was just being back, being in the fold, making it through camp not injured, and now, ‘Hey, I’m going into the game and ready to go,’” Randle El said.
“And for me, he knows every spot on the field, so it’s like, ‘Hey, I can throw him in at any time. He can go out and play any spot.’ … He just comes in and lights it up when you need him to. He’ll step in and get it done for you, so it’s good to have a guy like that.”