2025 Detroit Lions free agency preview: 3 wide receiver options

A look at three wide receivers who could help out the Detroit Lions in free agency.

While the top of the Detroit Lions ’ receiving corps seems set with the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Kalif Raymond, the team’s depth at wide receiver seems shaky and they could benefit from one more big-name receiver to help out the offense in 2025.

The free agent market for wide receivers is mostly made up of former stars who are now over 30 years old and are demanding quite a bit of coin for their next contracts. Still, there are some intriguing prospects for the Lions to consider once free agency tampering begins on March 10.

Previous free agency previews:

• Quarterbacks

Lions free agency preview: Wide receivers

Under contract: Ronnie Bell (futures), Antoine Green, Tom Kennedy (futures), Kalif Raymond, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams

Free agents: Tim Patrick (profile ), Allen Robinson (profile )

Van Jefferson, Pittsburgh Steelers

2024 stats: 17 games (12 starts), 24 receptions (40 targets), 276 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, 0 drops

He may not be from Michigan, but Van Jefferson is still a “local” prospect to consider for the Detroit Lions in 2025. Jefferson spent most of his teenage years in the Detroit area due to his father being Shawn Jefferson, former Lions wide receiver and assistant coach. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 2020—giving him familiarity with both Lions general manager Brad Holmes and quarterback Jared Goff.

Jefferson carved out a role in Pittsburgh this past season as their third wide receiver, behind George Pickens and Calvin Austin. Despite taking 721 snaps on offense for the Steelers , he came away with just 24 catches on 40 targets. Wide receivers can’t make plays if the ball isn’t thrown their way, but Jefferson did make the most of what opportunities came his way and was a willing contributor when the ball wasn’t in his hands. He’s a more-than-willing run blocker , a trait that Dan Campbell craves from his receivers. It doesn’t matter if it’s against a safety or linebacker, Jefferson can hold his own for enough time to let the play develop.

Detroit’s top two receivers are firmly set with St. Brown and Williams. Raymond has shown promise as the third man on the depth chart, but the Lions should consider a bigger-bodied possession receiver for that role. Jefferson, standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, would complement the top two Lions receivers nicely. His strengths are his route running and sure hands. Despite his size, he moves quickly. He reportedly posted a 4.39 40-yard-dash time at his pro day and while he did not participate in agility drills, his footwork on film tells us all that we need to know.

There really wouldn’t be much downside to signing Jefferson. His contract for 2024 was just shy of $1.3 million, and his going rate for 2025 shouldn’t be much higher than that. For a 28-year-old who could easily come in and compete for a third receiver spot, that would be a steal for Detroit.

Elijah Moore, Cleveland Browns

2024 stats: 17 games (13 starts), 61 receptions (102 targets), 538 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown, 5 drops

If I had a nickel for every former Ole Miss receiver drafted in the second round who played for the AFC North in 2024 on this list…

Moore, at only 24 years old, is headed into free agency looking to sign with his third team in five seasons. A second-round pick by the Jets in 2021, Moore was sent to Cleveland after just two seasons due to frustrations with his role on offense. While this may not sound like the kind of player that Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell would want in their locker room, there is still a lot to like about Moore’s game.

He’s a true multipurpose player on offense who can line up in the slot or on the outside. Throughout his college and NFL career, he was also given some carries and even scored on a 19-yard run in his rookie year. On special teams, Moore has some experience fielding both kickoffs and punts.

Much like with Jefferson, signing Moore would fill the team’s need for a third wide receiver behind St. Brown and Williams. With St. Brown mainly holding down the slot role, Moore would play complementary to Williams on the outside. Much like Williams, Moore would be able to add some extra playmaking ability and versatility to the offense. In a pass-happy offense led by Jared Goff, Moore would still be content with his role if he were to sign with Detroit.

Spotrac has his price tag coming in at $4.5 million per year, which is $2 million more than he was making this past year. Moore has a lot of football left in him, and a lot of room to grow as both a player and a person. Detroit would be a great landing spot for the young receiver to revitalize his career. This would also likely mean signing him to a minimum two-year deal.

DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs

2024 stats: 16 games (8 starts), 56 receptions (80 targets), 610 receiving yards, 5 receiving touchdowns, 2 drops

If the Lions want to make a splash in this year’s free agency, they’ll have to go with an older and more experienced wide receiver. Three-time All Pro DeAndre Hopkins fits the bill as a player who can not only contribute on offense, but also be a mentor to the younger players in the position group.

“I knew we were getting a good player, played against him quite a little bit, but I didn’t know the leadership part. He’s been tremendous that way. He hasn’t complained that we’re spreading the ball around or utilizing other guys along with him.”

That’s what Chiefs head coach Andy Reid had to say about Hopkins earlier this season. With the 32-year-old nearing the end of his career, finding Detroit as a landing spot would be a win-win for both parties. The Lions would get a respected veteran, and Hopkins would carve out a solid role for himself on offense.

This signing would come at a much greater cost to the Lions than the other two aforementioned players on this list. It’s unclear exactly how much he’d cost, though. Spotrac has his value at $15.2 million a year , while PFF ($10M) and OverTheCap ($6M) have much more reasonable prices.

Hopkins was a key contributor for the Chiefs offense despite playing just 10 regular-season games with them. His Super Bowl performance of 29 yards, a touchdown, and a two-point conversion shows that he can be a nice complement to the other weapons that Detroit has on offense.

Hopkins will not be as much of a WR3 as he’d share the stage more evenly with Williams as a tall, speedy deep threat. The biggest perk of adding a player like Hopkins is that he and Williams paired together would be a mismatch nightmare for opposing defensive backs, especially once you factor in St. Brown as well as Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta. Having two playmakers with sure hands who can get separation downfield would open the playbook for new offensive coordinator John Morton.