While it was unsurprising that the Detroit Lions lost receiver DJ Chark to another team in free agency, it was surprising to see them replace Chark so quickly. Last week, the Lions made a surprising move and brought back receiver Marvin Jones.
Previously, Jones, played two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars but he signed a one-year contract to return to the Lions. Being part of the core, once upon a time in Detroit, Jones returns to try it all over again. The best production of his career came while wearing Honolulu blue.
However, he is nearing the later stages of his career as he recently turned 33 years old and his production has slightly dropped. While I still love the fit of Jones back in Detroit, the Lions are in a very interesting position for the 2023 NFL Draft.
They don’t have a pressing need and it feels like every pick they make is going to just be a big plus to their roster. They could overdraft at certain positions or simply take the best player available. One thing I find interesting is if they spend a Day 2 or Day 3 pick on a receiver. But not just any type of receiver.
What if they select a player that could be molded into a similar player as Marvin Jones? Here are three receivers from the 2023 NFL Draft that play similarly to Jones or have a comparable athletic profile!
Rashee Rice, SMU
Starting with one of my favorite fits at the WR position for Detroit, we’ve got Rashee Rice from SMU. He’s a productive four-year player that is coming off a career year with 96 receptions for 1344 yards and 10 touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted 19 touchdowns and has played a variety of snaps in the slot and out-wide.
SMU WR 11 Rashee Rice going up and snagging this one. Reminds me of a more explosive Marvin Jones. pic.twitter.com/OpdiWhit6x
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) March 31, 2023
On tape, Rice isn’t the craftiest route runner but he’s an explosive athlete that can push vertically up the field. He adjusts well to the football and is able to high-point the ball. There are times that he struggles with physical defenders at the catch point. This does lead to several drops and they are concerning as he does have 21 career drops. When watching how he was used at SMU, I could see Detroit using him similarly.
While he’s able to run vertically up the field, he’s also effective over the middle of the field with dig routes and potentially option routes. Showcasing his ability to diagnose the coverages around him has created openings for him to catch more passes. We could see the Lions use plenty of smash concepts, levels and hitch-seam concepts by drafting Rice.
At the Scouting Combine, Rice checked in at 6’0″ and 204 pounds while posting a 41″ vertical and running the 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds. Comparing that to Marvin Jones, it’s similar but Rice is still more explosive. When Jones tested at the Combine, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.49 seconds at 6’2″ and 199 pounds but he only posted a 33″ vertical. That said, I could see Rice learning a ton from Jones in the NFL and it could translate to plenty of success.
Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State
Potentially one of the more underrated players in this years draft with some of the best production is Xavier Hutchinson from Iowa State. He checked into the Scouting Combine at 6’1 7/8″ and 203 pounds while running the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds. His vertical jump was 36-inches and his 3-cone drill was an awesome time of 6.91 seconds. In comparison, Marvin Jones rans his 3-cone drill in 6.81 seconds. Essentially, we’re in the same ballpark when comparing the two players athletic profiles.
On the field, the talented receiver started three straight seasons for the Cyclones. This past season he had 107 receptions for 1171 yards and six touchdowns. Drops aren’t as concerning with him as he’s only had 13 of them in his career. Not bad for a player that has 358 career targets (per PFF).
Primarily a receiver that plays wide, he does have some experience in the slot and actually had 132 snaps from the alignment this year (per PFF). As a player, he showcases the ability to run after the catch due to his balance and burst in the short areas of the field. He sinks his hips and is able to change direction well.
I like Hutchinson best when running hitch and slant routes and on crossing patterns over the middle of the field. Detroit could have interesting wide receiver sets with the combination of Hutchinson, St. Brown, Williams, Reynolds and Jones.
A.T. Perry, Wake Forest
Lastly, we’ll talk about a receiver that has had back-to-back seasons as a 1,000 yard receiver. That receiver is A.T. Perry from Wake Forest. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted a total of 26 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he’s coming off a career high of 81 receptions. The production and talent was good enough to earn a spot at the East-West Shrine Bowl and he did not disappoint.
Primarily an ‘X’ receiver, Perry possesses the ability to run vertically and track the football down on a consistent basis. In 2022, he had 10 receptions on 28 targets (per PFF) on passes that were 20+ yards downfield. This was good for 373 yards and five touchdowns.
A.T. Perry (Wake Forest WR 9) is super intriguing at 6'5 206 lbs. Seems to move well for his size. Had 71 receptions for 1293 yards & 15 TDs. Will be a Junior (RS).
Played basketball & competed in track & field in high school. PR in the high jump is listed at 5'7.75 (1.72m). pic.twitter.com/wLVOWRiu5o
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) July 10, 2022
At the Scouting Combine, he checked in at 6’3″ and 198 pounds while running the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds. He also had a vertical jump of 35-inches. Of the three receivers on this list, his athletic profile is most comparable to Marvin Jones.
Perry won’t do much after the catch as he only had 164 yards after the catch in 2022 (per PFF). However, that might be better for Detroit. They can use St. Brown and Williams in the short areas of the field while Perry uses his long frame to high-point the football vertically downfield.
