The Detroit Lions are looking to return to contention in 2026, and part of that process is identifying free agents who can help get them there. While players like Greg Dortch have come in to build depth, their arrivals could mean bad things to players who may be on the roster bubble entering next season.
A player who could be feeling the heat is second-year wide receiver Dominic Lovett. A seventh-round pick from Missouri, Lovett impressed Lions coaches and fans with his preseason performance a year ago. But the state of the Lions' depth chart may be raising alarm bells as he looks to break camp with the Lions next fall.
Greg Dortch’s Arrival Is Bad News for Dominic Lovett’s Future with Lions
The Lions haven’t added a lot of depth during the offseason, but it’s enough for Lovett to take notice. While Kalif Raymond left for the Chicago Bears in free agency, he was immediately replaced by Greg Dortch, and others, including Isaac TeSlaa, Jackson Meeks, and Tom Kennedy, had already passed Lovett on the depth chart last season.
Dortch isn’t going to be a threat to siphon targets from the top three, including Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and TeSlaa. However, he could be a replacement for Raymond, which could be bad news for a player like Lovett, who was looking to make his mark on special teams.
A lot of hype went to Lovett in the early days of last year’s training camp. Lions team reporter Tim Twentyman said that Lovett had “shown up as a playmaker on both offense and special teams as a gunner and in the return game, and is turning some heads with his play.” St. Brown was also a fan of Lovett’s performance early in camp and made sure to point out his performance along with the rest of the young receivers.
“Dom [Lovett] has been making plays all camp,” St. Brown said. “All of the young guys have been ballin', man. I’m excited to watch them go out there in the preseason and ball out.”
Lovett started to validate St. Brown’s praise by leading the Lions with five receptions for 31 yards on a team-high nine targets and ripping off a 19-yard punt return during the Hall of Fame Game against the Los Angeles Chargers. But an abdominal injury suffered in practice the following week stunted his development, and he had just two catches for 14 yards in the preseason finale against the Miami Dolphins.
By the time the regular season arrived, Lovett was strictly a gunner, making just one kickoff return for 22 yards and earning a 62.4 special teams grade with no tackles in 12 games, according to Pro Football Focus. Meanwhile, TeSlaa and Kennedy earned more playing time toward the end of the season, and Lovett was an afterthought before the Lions added Dortch this offseason.
With Dortch in the fold, it’s officially go-time for Lovett. Seventh-round picks don’t get the long leash that higher-drafted prospects typically do, and Lovett needs to show he does more than just cardio on punts and kickoffs to keep his spot. If he fails to do that, Lovett will officially become a flash in the pan and show why the Lions seem to be sounding the alarm on his development this offseason.