The Fifth Receiver Battle Is About To Get Real
There is a fight happening in Allen Park right now that deserves way more attention than it’s getting. The battle for the fifth wide receiver spot has quietly turned into one of the most compelling competitions of training camp, and honestly it’s the kind of thing Lions fans should be obsessing over.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, and Greg Dortch are locked in as the top four receivers. That’s a given. The real question is whether Brad Holmes carries five or six wideouts on the 53-man roster and who the hell earns that next spot.
Special Teams Is The Whole Ballgame
Let’s be clear about what this job actually is.
It’s fun to imagine what the fifth receiver can do on offense, but the real ask is special teams. You need to show up on coverage, make blocks, fly down the field as a gunner, and generally do the dirty work that keeps you employed. If you can contribute on offense too? Great. But when you’re fighting for the fifth or sixth spot, special teams is what gets you on the plane.
The Guys In The Fight
Tom Kennedy is every Lions fan’s favorite Lion for a reason. He sticks around, does whatever is asked of him, and never complains. That counts for something. In some way, shape, or form, Kennedy is going to be on this team. Maybe not the 53-man roster, but he’ll be on the practice squad unless someone tries to claim him off waivers. There was some thought he could win the return job after looking solid at it near the end of the 2025 season, but that’s Greg Dortch’s job now and he’s got it locked down. The guy opposite him on returns looks like it’s going to be Jacob Saylors, who handled the role last year and did a pretty good job. Kennedy has a real shot at the 53, but the path is narrow.
Tay Martin might be the frontrunner right now. Dan Campbell was asked about the receiver room on Tuesday and said this was the deepest receiver room the Lions have had since he’s been in Detroit. He specifically brought up Martin and how good he’s been looking on special teams. And yeah, you can see it. Martin is doing stuff out there as a gunner, getting downfield, making blocks. When the ball’s thrown his way, he catches it. He’s looking pretty good on the second and third team reps too.
Malik Cunningham is an interesting case because he’s been both a receiver and a quarterback in the NFL. The Lions brought him in last year, and the thought was he’d give them a trick play option where Cunningham throws the ball. They tried it once. It didn’t work out. I’d like to see them try it again. Cunningham is probably a practice squad guy, but there have been multiple times this summer where you watch a play and go, “Oh man, who made that?” Then you look at the roster sheet. Malik Cunningham did that.
Cedric Wilson has been the steady veteran presence. Good blocking, catches the ball when it’s thrown to him, just out there doing stuff. He had a really nice play on Monday with Luke Altmyer throwing him the ball on the run, making a contested catch on the sideline. It’s been similar to Cunningham in the sense that you keep noticing him. There’s Cedric Wilson again making a play.
Dominic Lovett has a real shot at this roster. He’s looking so much better than he did last year in punt return and kick return drills. He has a ton of gunner ability, was a really good gunner in college, and showed some of that last season. You can see the vision for him across multiple special teams roles.
Lucky Jackson deserves a mention too. He’s been looking pretty steady. There haven’t been a lot of moments where you think he did something bad out there. It’s more like, “Oh, Lucky caught the ball again. Good play by Lucky Jackson.” He needs to show a little more on special teams, but he’s been impressive.
Where This Is Headed
Right now, before the first preseason game, the smart money is on Martin and Lovett for that fifth spot. Martin has the edge at the moment, but Lovett has a real chance.
You start to think maybe the Lions consider carrying six receivers. You wonder what room they’d have to make elsewhere for that, but it’s worth thinking about if you’re Brad Holmes. This is just a fun battle, and honestly it’s the kind of depth issue this franchise has not had in a very long time.
So who do you think wins the fifth receiver spot? Tay Martin, Dominic Lovett, Tom Kennedy, or someone else entirely? Drop your take below before the preseason game settles it for us.
