Throughout the offseason, one of the bigger questions for this Detroit Lions team has been in regards to whether or not they have enough at the wide receiver position beyond Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Is Jameson Williams ready to step into a much bigger role? Can the Lions count on him? Based on the offseason he's had, and praise from the coaching staff, it sure looks that way.
But, the Lions don't have that third wide receiver solidified. Sure, Khalif Raymond is a skilled player, but is he ready to become a bigger part of the offense? Is he capable?
Or, could the Lions be in the market for another wideout in the coming days?
NFL Media's Gregg Rosenthal and the host of the NFL Daily podcast recently talked about some potential trade candidates alongside The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue. One name that came up is former first-round pick and current Washington Commanders wide receiver, Jahan Dotson.
Why would the Commanders part ways with Dotson, a 2022 first-round pick? Well, for starters, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury has always been about playing "his guys," and Dotson hasn't appeared to be one of them so far.
"It's a new coaching staff who didn't draft him in the first round. So, I tend to think he's available if someone wants to give up a pick for him," Rosenthal noted.
Dotson has played a good amount this preseason, which doesn't always bode well for a player with his draft pedigree, and we've already talked about his potential availability. Now, it looks like the national media is starting to catch on.
Rodrigue mentioned the Lions as a fit for Dotson, noting something head coach Dan Campbell said recently: "We really need the three receiver ," as Campbell alluded to the fact that Detroit still may not have a solidified WR3 at the moment.
What would it cost for the Lions to trade for Jahan Dotson?
Rosenthal also mentioned the Baltimore Ravens as a fit and wondered whether or not the Commanders would accept a fourth rounder from them. However, he'd go on to hypothesize over a fourth not necessarily being enough, and that a team could need a third-round pick on the table for Dotson.
Still, a third-round pick for a former first round player like Dotson seems to be a fair price. Dotson is only 24 years old and has shown a nose for the end zone over his first two years, scoring a touchdown on 13.1 percent of his receptions (11 touchdowns on 84 catches).
His quickness could be utilized in a unique and fun way by Ben Johnson, who would go on to prove Kingsbury is making a mistake by not implementing him within the offense in Washington.
If Detroit could replace Raymond with Dotson, and allow Raymond to continue operating as that fourth wide receiver and specialist in punt returns, it could give this team even more reason to believe in a Super Bowl run this season.
After Detroit allowed Josh Reynolds to leave in free agency, they showed quite a bit of faith in Williams stepping into that role. But, this team still needs a capable option at the WR3 position, and Dotson would be a luxury there.