Throughout the offseason, SB Nation will host surveys for NFL fans, sponsored by the folks over at FanDuel Sportsbook. For Pride of Detroit, we are tasked with fielding questions from Lions fans, and with the recent news that rookie wide receiver Kendrick Law tore his ACL, our question for this week’s survey is…
With Kendrick Law out, who is the Lions’ WR4?
The Lions starters at wide receiver are locked in with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Isaac TeSlaa firmly set in their roles. However, with Kalif Raymond—who started over TeSlaa early
last season—departing in free agency, the Lions’ top reserve role (WR4) is up for grabs.
To fill this role, the Lions acquired Law via trade-up in the NFL Draft and signed Greg Dortch in free agency, bringing them in to compete with returning depth receivers Dominic Lovett, Tom Kennedy, and Jackson Meeks. While Law was not guaranteed the WR4 role, there was certainly a path for him to win the job. Not only was he a naturally gifted athlete, with tremendous speed and agility, but he could also play multiple spots on offense.
With Law’s season likely over, let’s take a closer look at the remaining receivers competing for the Lions’ top reserve role and then vote for which player fans believe will seize the opportunity.
Greg Dortch spent his previous four seasons in Arizona, including the last three working with current Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. His familiarity with Petzing’s play-calling and ability to contribute as a returner made him a very logical addition in free agency to replace Raymond. While Dortch certainly has a clear path to the WR4 role, he lacks Raymond’s elite speed and typically only operates out of the slot, which could limit his opportunities to see the field—especially with All-Pro St. Brown playing out of the slot roughly half the offense’s snaps.
Dominic Lovett was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and while he didn’t record a reception during his rookie season, he was active on special teams for 12 games and was kept on the roster all season with the future in mind. Lovett has legitimate 4.4-second NFL speed and the positional range to play inside and out, but he lacks the natural twitch athleticism you typically find in a smaller (5-foot-10, 185 pounds) receiver. His familiarity with the Lions system has helped him climb the depth chart in OTAs.
Jackson Meeks was an undrafted free agent in 2025, and looked like he had a legitimate shot at making the Lions roster as a rookie after a terrific preseason. However, the Lions had a lot of depth at the position and elected to keep him on the practice squad all season, elevating him for just two games. While Meeks’ size (6-foot-2, 213 pounds) and skill set will likely keep him in the WR-X role, he was cross-trained at tight end a bit last season due to his blocking prowess, giving him a unique range of options for Petzing to utilize.
Tom Kennedy is entering his eighth (!) season with the Lions, and while he has only seen 30 targets in 30 games (18 receptions for 231 yards) over that span, he’s stuck around because of his ability to contribute all over the offense. Mr. Reliable was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster last season and played in the final six games of the year. While Kennedy appears to have reached his developmental ceiling, coaches know what they have in him as a player, and after finding a role on special teams last season, there’s a case to be made that his dependability could help him rise up the depth chart.
While not specifically mentioned as contenders for the WR4 role, the Lions’ remaining wide receiver room is filled out with Malik Cunningham (a converted quarterback who spent last season on the practice squad), Cedrick Wilson Jr. (a post-draft veteran addition), and Kyre Duplessis (a rookie UDFA signed after the Law injury). If you believe any of them were overlooked, please vote OTHER in the survey below and share your reasoning in the comment section.
And with that, it’s time to vote in the survey, share your feedback in the comment section, and check back with Pride of Detroit in the near future for the results.
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