Detroit Lions: 30 greatest players in franchise history

In his career as a Lion, Golden Tate has accomplished some things that not even greats such as Herman Moore or Calvin Johnson ever did. During his first four full seasons in Detroit, Tate has posted at least 90 catches or more and early in the 2018 season, he established himself as the fastest receiver in team history to reach 400 receptions.

The University of Notre Dame alum became a Lion in 2014. He brought with him a championship pedigree, fresh off a Super Bowl win with the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos.

He doesn’t boast a large, physical presence as a wideout. Tate is neither the fastest nor the strongest wide receiver in the league, but at any given moment in any game, he can be the most dangerous player on the field.

Much of the difficulty that Tate poses for his defenders lies in his elusiveness. Very rarely does he ever go down on the first hit. His ability to elude tacklers leads directly into his most valuable trait.

Gaining significant yards after the catch is where Tate truly shines. There’s no other receiver in the NFL who can lay claim to the title of “YAC King” the way Tate can. With the exception of the 2016 season, Tate has led the league in YAC every year since 2013. Even in that 2016 season, Tate checked in at No. 2 in the YAC category.

Rarely missing a game as a Lion, Tate has firmly entrenched himself as a trusted target of his quarterback Matthew Stafford. Tate is a model of consistency in several facets of the game who is doing the work necessary to try to bring a Super Bowl championship to Motown.