How Roman Wilson Could Make Lions' Offense Dynamic

Why Michigan WR could fit nicely in Ben Johnson's offense.

Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson celebrates a play during the first quarter of the College Football Playoff Championship game. / Melanie Maxwell / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions are in the market for a wide receiver addition.

After Josh Reynolds departed to sign with the Denver Broncos, the Lions could benefit from adding talent to the position. A prime opportunity to do so is approaching in the form of the NFL Draft.

Among the higher-valued prospects in this year's Draft is Michigan's Roman Wilson, who has been a riser throughout the pre-Draft process. The Hawaii native has plenty of enticing skills and showed progress after taking over the featured role in Michigan's offense.

Wilson has made a local visit with the Lions amongst other teams and was a participant at the team's April 9 local pro day.

The Wolverines featured a run-heavy attack, so Wilson's production is not particularly eye-popping. He was able to manage 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Wilson was the favorite target of projected Top 5 pick J.J. McCarthy. A closer review of his film indicates that he has starting-caliber traits.

He's a superb route-runner with good hands, and his quickness allows him to separate from defenders at the top of his routes. In his Draft guide, titled, 'The Beast,' The Athletic's Dane Brugler tabbed Wilson with a second-round grade.

"Overall, Wilson is a speedy slot with the hands and competitive makeup to pester defenses and consistently move the sticks," Brugler wrote. "He has the talent to win a starting role for an NFL offense."

Measuring 5-foot-10, Wilson has the build of a prototypical slot wide receiver at the professional level. However, the Lions already have one of the league's best at that role in Amon-Ra St. Brown. Wilson can play outside, however, as he has the speed and quickness to shed bigger cornerbacks on the boundary.

He ran sub-4.4 in the 40-yard dash at the combine and looked at ease in positional drills. Wilson seems to glide on the field with the ability to turn on the jets and utilize his long speed.

Wilson could add another level of speed to the Lions' offense while also having dependable hands. He's also quite athletic and built with toughness. While undersized, the Michigan product could be a dynamic secondary option along with Jameson Williams and St. Brown within Ben Johnson's offense.

More visits

In addition to recently bringing in Wilson, the Lions are reportedly hosting William & Mary defensive lineman Nate Lynn. The Lions have experience with the FCS school, having drafted offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal out of William & Mary last season.

Lynn finished his career with 28 career sacks, including eight last season. He has logged double-digit tackles for loss in each of the last three seasons, including a 2021 campaign in which he had 13.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.