Under the radar Lions receiver is making plays that could take him from tryout player to the 53-man roster

The Detroit Lions are in need of another receiver that can come in and help out. We've been talking about it all offseason long here at A to Z Detroit. After Lions head coach Dan Campbell's comments on Antione Green didn't display a lot of confidence on Tuesday, now more than ever it feels like the Lions need more help. 

That help could be on this 90-man roster right now. It could be coming from a guy that's only been with the Lions for about a month now. We're talking about Kaden Davis. 

Davis was a tryout player for the Lions during rookie minicamp and he impressed enough to get signed afterwards. Since then he's been making some plays out there. Pride of Detroit's Jeremy Reisman has continuously noted that Davis is making impressive plays during OTAs and now mandatory minicamp. 

"Another practice, another impressive play from Kaden Davis, who made a toe-tapping touchdown grab during a red zone drill."

This wasn't just a minicamp day one thing that Reisman noticed. He's been making plays since Week 1 of OTAs. 

"The play of the day came from Kaden Davis—a rookie minicamp tryout who ended up signing with the team. Davis was closely covered on a deep shot from Hooker but found late separation against Vildor for a huge gain and a touchdown." 

If Davis keeps having days like this, he could find himself on the 53-man roster. It's not just the plays he can make as a receiver that can help him. It's what he can do on special teams as well. Particularly in the return game. 

Davis was a return man for the Michigan Panthers in 2023 and he was a pretty good one too. The USFL, now the UFL, was employing the kickoff format that the NFL is now using. Davis gives the Lions a chance to have a guy back there that already knows how to maneuver in this format. 

Davis has some NFL experience. He was on the Broncos practice squad in 2022 and the Cardinals practice squad in 2023. This might represent his best chance to make a 53-man roster.

There's still a ways to go before we can be sure. He'll have to keep showing out when his number is called and he'll have to have a good training camp too. But the play making he's doing now and the return ability is going to go a long way for him.