The positive: Detroit’s receiving group in 2024 had many appealing aspects. Amon-Ra St. Brown secured his second consecutive All-Pro selection, Jameson Williams achieved his inaugural 1,000-yard season, and veteran Tim Patrick joined the team to establish the group as a dependable third option. It was a fruitful unit for the Lions that contributed to creating one of the top passing offenses in the NFL this season.
St. Brown (1,263) and Williams (1,001) are the first duo of Lions wide receivers to both achieve 1,000 receiving yards in a single season since Marvin Jones Jr. and Golden Tate in 2017.
St. Brown enjoyed yet another reliably successful season, marking one of the finest four-year spans to start a career in the history of the league. His 430 catches rank second all-time for a player’s initial four seasons, trailing only Michael Thomas (470). Lions supporters can expect significant contributions from St. Brown for many years ahead after he signed a contract extension last offseason that will keep him in Detroit until the 2028 season.
In his third season, Williams emerged as the reliable deep threat the Lions anticipated when selecting him No. 12 overall in the 2022 draft. His five catches exceeding 50 yards and four touchdowns from over 50 yards were both tied for the NFL lead, while Williams ranked second in the NFL with an average of 17.3 yards per catch. Detroit had 62 receptions of over 20 yards this season, ranking them third in the NFL.
Patrick joined the Lions just before the season, providing them with an experienced receiver known for his extensive catch radius. He swiftly gained the confidence of his coaches and teammates by making numerous challenging catches throughout the season.
With receiver/returner Kalif Raymond contributing two touchdown catches this year, the Lions’ receivers accumulated 24 touchdown receptions for the season — St. Brown (12), Williams (7), Patrick (3), Raymond (2).
The downside: There’s not much to discuss on this point. Detroit possessed four established playmakers at the receiver spot, a rarity for many teams to claim.
Williams, aged 23, and St. Brown, who is 25, are poised to provide Lions fans with many exciting seasons ahead as a pair. However, Patrick is 31 years old, while Raymond is 30 years old. Perhaps one uncertainty in the situation is if they require an additional young candidate to vie for the No. 3 position. For the past two years, it has been veterans Patrick and Josh Reynolds.
Key stat: The Lions were recorded with only seven dropped passes throughout the season, the lowest total in the NFL. They were among just three teams in the league with single-digit drops this year, alongside the Los Angeles Rams (9) and Philadelphia Eagles (9). Detroit recorded a 1.7 percentage decrease on catchable passes this season — the sole team in the league below two percent.
Unrestricted players: Tim Patrick
Patrick’s 6-foot-5 stature and abilities were an ideal match for St. Brown and Williams, and he rapidly emerged as a reliable target for quarterback Jared Goff. He made 34 receptions for 416 yards and three touchdowns, counting the postseason. Patrick sat out the 2022 and 2023 seasons due to injury, and it was great to see him return to his previous form in Denver prior to his ACL and Achilles injuries. He’s expected to attract attention in the free agent market.
Last year marked the first of general manager Brad Holmes’ initial four drafts in Detroit where he did not choose a receiver. He selected St. Brown in the fourth round of 2021, Williams in the first round of 2022, and Antoine Green in the seventh round of 2023.
As previously stated, this might be an opportune moment if the draft board aligns with the best available, allowing for the addition of a young receiver to compete for a position. Perhaps one that is appropriately sized?
Among the Top 20 receivers listed by ESPN for this year’s NFL Draft, five stand 6-foot-3 or taller and may be selected across different rounds from Day 1 to Day 3 of the draft.
Paraphrase: “I have immense pride in him,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell stated about Williams in January. “He’s one of those guys; I really admire that kid because he has faced a lot, some of which is his own fault, and he recognizes that. What I value is that it took him a little while to embrace what we were working on.”
“He can be somewhat stubborn, and that’s also the reason you adore him; it’s the reason I adore him too.” However, he has learned throughout the journey and is evolving, and truthfully, you might say the best thing he’s accomplished is when he ultimately let down his guard and connected with his teammates.
“He joined the team, and this occurred last year; by the end of last year, you could begin to sense it.” And it has only improved more and more, and with each of these occurrences, he has evolved. He’s gaining knowledge from it, and I appreciate where