Are the Lions sitting on the league’s next breakout receiver? Golden Tate and Marvin Jones are both really good, but Kenny Golladay looks like he might soon join them.

Detroit selected Golladay in the third round last year, and he showed flashes of big-time potential as a rookie. He’s huge (6-4, 218), with enough speed and leaping ability to cause mismatch problems downfield. He averaged 17.0 yards per catch in his rookie season.

Jones was one of the league’s best downfield receivers last year, but Golladay looks like he might be able to make the same kind of catches. They might also look to tap into that size and leaping ability on fade routes around the goal line.

"He's a big target," says Golden Tate in an article by Kyle Meinke posted at MLive.com.. "He's got length. He can go up and get it, and, you know, we'll try to put him in situations to do that."

Golladay might be even better now that he’s had a chance to learn the offense for a year – and with the Lions knowing there’s some viable talent to tap into.

"I saw freakish catches, man," says Tate. "Some real freakin' freakish catches. Kenny's still a young guy trying to figure it out, but he's moving at a great pace. If he can just keep the mentality he has coming in, he studies, and just tries to get better every day, I'm telling you, this guy can be dominant. He's a WR1 kind of guy."

In the last five years, 66 wide receivers have had a season with a least 5 catches of 40-plus yards. Golladay is the only player in this group who’s done it while catching fewer than 30 passes. Only four other rookies in the last five years (tagged with dots) have had at least 5 catches of 40-plus yards.

Of Golladay’s 28 catches last year, 18 percent went for at least 40 yards. That’s the 2nd-highest total of any wide receiver (in this group) in the last five years.

Golladay looks like an intriguing prospect. I would select him before the second wide receiver on a lot of other teams.

RECEIVERS WITH 5 RECEPTIONS OF 40-PLUS YARDS
YearPlayerRecYardsAvgTD40+Pct
2014DeSean Jackson, WAS561,16920.961323.2%
2017• Kenny Golladay, DET2847717.03517.9%
2013• Kenny Stills, NO3264120.05515.6%
2015Torrey Smith, SF3366320.14515.2%
2015Kenny Britt, STL3668118.93513.9%
2014Michael Floyd, ARI4784117.96612.8%
2013Riley Cooper, PHI4783517.88612.8%
2016Travis Benjamin, SD4767714.44612.8%
2013Torrey Smith, BAL651,12817.44812.3%
2017Tyreek Hill, KC751,18315.87912.0%
2015Sammy Watkins, BUF601,04717.59711.7%
2015Markus Wheaton, PIT4474917.05511.4%
2015Ted Ginn, CAR4473916.810511.4%
2017Brandin Cooks, NE651,08216.67710.8%
2017T.Y. Hilton, IND5796616.94610.5%
2013Josh Gordon, CLE871,64618.99910.3%
2017• JuJu Smith-Schuster, PIT5891715.87610.3%
2015Martavis Bryant, PIT5076515.36510.0%
2017Marvin Jones, DET611,10118.0969.8%
2013DeSean Jackson, PHI821,33216.2989.8%
2014Malcom Floyd, SD5285616.5659.6%
2014Kenny Stills, NO6393114.8369.5%
2017Ted Ginn, NO5378714.8459.4%
2015John Brown, ARI651,00315.4769.2%
2013A.J. Green, CIN981,42614.61199.2%
2016A.J. Green, CIN6696414.6469.1%
2016DeSean Jackson, WAS561,00517.9458.9%
2017Marquise Goodwin, SF5696217.2258.9%
2015Travis Benjamin, CLE6896614.2568.8%
2015Rueben Randle, NYG5779714.0858.8%
2015T.Y. Hilton, IND691,12416.3568.7%
2016Tyrell Williams, SD691,05915.3768.7%
2015• Amari Cooper, OAK721,07014.9668.3%
2015Odell Beckham, NYG961,45015.11388.3%
2014Jeremy Maclin, PHI851,31815.51078.2%
2014Jordy Nelson, GB981,51915.51388.2%
2014DeAndre Hopkins, HOU761,21015.9667.9%
2015Emmanuel Sanders, DEN761,13514.9667.9%
2013Alshon Jeffery, CHI891,42116.0777.9%
2016Brandin Cooks, NO781,17315.0867.7%
2015Allen Robinson, JAC801,40017.51467.5%
2014T.Y. Hilton, IND821,34516.4767.3%
2013T.Y. Hilton, IND821,08313.2567.3%
2016Mike Wallace, BAL721,01714.1456.9%
2017Antonio Brown, PIT1011,53315.2976.9%
2013Eric Decker, DEN871,28814.81166.9%
2013Mike Wallace, MIA7393012.7556.8%
2014• Odell Beckham, NYG911,30514.31266.6%
2013Vincent Jackson, TB781,22415.7756.4%
2014Steve Smith, BAL791,06513.5656.3%
2016Julio Jones, ATL831,40917.0656.0%
2015Brandin Cooks, NO841,13813.5956.0%
2013Calvin Johnson, DET841,49217.81256.0%
2016Odell Beckham, NYG1011,36713.51065.9%
2015Antonio Brown, PIT1361,83413.51085.9%
2013Harry Douglas, ATL851,06712.6255.9%
2015A.J. Green, CIN861,29715.11055.8%
2014Dez Bryant, DAL881,32015.01655.7%
2017Adam Thielen, MINN911,27614.0455.5%
2013Antonio Brown, PIT1101,49913.6865.5%
2013Demaryius Thomas, DEN921,43015.51455.4%
2014Demaryius Thomas, DEN1111,61914.61165.4%
2016Doug Baldwin, SEA941,12812.0755.3%
2014Golden Tate, DET991,33113.4455.1%
2015Brandon Marshall, NYJ1091,50213.81454.6%
2015Julio Jones, ATL1361,87113.8853.7%

—Ian Allan