Why Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay is due for a breakout rookie year

Ever since training camp has started, Golladay has been turning heads around the Motor City. His speed (4.5 second 40 at the combine) and massive size have made him a deep ball threat throughout camp. Attendees have been impressed with his abilities and skills, as he’s always good for some smooth plays on deep balls in camp.

Scouts have raved about Golladay’s catch radius and great hands, saying he’s been “catching the ball well” all of camp. But teammates seem to be more impressed by his humble attitude; he’s a guy who “shows up and doesn’t say a word” as Golden Tate has commented.

Golladay is always trying to learn as much as he can from Tate and Marvin Jones, simply trying to get better every single day. He’s a pretty quiet guy, simply trying to improve himself and the players around him.

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Jim Caldwell, who sees him as a “diligent worker who is serious about his craft” and clearly likes the progress he’s made. Now he’s clearly no Megatron, but Golladay’s remarkable first impression is already making waves.

At the moment, Golladay is slotted as the third receiver on this Lions squad, replacing the hole left by the aging Anquan Boldin, who led the team in touchdowns and red zone receptions last year. While the grizzly veteran will be missed, Golladay provides a new challenge for opponents: deep balls. The Lions should look to send him on a lot of deep routes this year for obvious reasons.

The 23-year old devastating speed and large frame make him an obvious threat for jump balls in the red zone and down the middle of the field. Golladay also has the strength to not get pushed off his routes on the line of scrimmage, which is something that a lot of young receivers struggle with in their NFL transition.

The young receiver has grown into his long 32” arms, and has the strength (18 reps of 225 at the combine, tied for fifth among all wide outs, per NFL.com draft profile) to push back corners at the line of scrimmage and get his long legs going into his route. Golladay has the ability to take the top off the defense, which creates more space for this Lions offense full of huge YAC (Yards After Catch) threats like Tate, Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick to name a few.