Tim Patrick can add valuable skill set to Lions' wide receiver room

The Detroit Lions established their initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, and only four wide receivers were kept as undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams seized a spot.

Head coach Dan Campbell may generally regard size at the wide receiver position as a luxury, but the Lions have a void there. As the Denver Broncos got set to part ways with Tim Patrick, it was easy to see a possible fit there.

The Broncos released Patrick on Tuesday, and the Lions immediately swooped in. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Lions will sign the veteran receiver to their practice squad, with the idea he will work his way on to the active roster in due time.

What kind of receiver are the Lions getting in Patrick? Warren Sharp revealed where he stands in some revealing metrics since 2020.

Sharp also noted the quarterbacks Patrick had targeting him in Denver: Drew Lock and Teddy Bridgewater mostly, with a sprinkling of Brett Rypien, Jeff Driskel and Kendal Hinton. Yet, he also had a explosive reception rate (17-plus yards) of 31.7 percent (second-best among 90 receivers with 100-plus catches since 2020).

Tim Patrick has opportunity to seize big role in Lions' offense

When he joins the Lions, Patrick will immediately step into a far better situation than he ever had in Denver, with a consistent quarterback in Jared Goff, a diverse supporting cast and a top-end play caller in Ben Johnson.

Patrick can slot into the role Josh Reynolds vacated, which Campbell called out as a void that had not been filled.

The biggest issue for Patrick as he comes to the Lions is health. He has missed each of the last two seasons due to a major injury. In 2022, it was a torn ACL which cost him the season. Last year, he suffered a torn Achilles. So he literally has not played a regular season game since 2021.

If Patrick can stay healthy, he has a skill set which could prove very valuable for the Lions. So it's not surprising they're giving him a shot.