Lions Predicted to Part Ways With ‘Elite Athlete’ Wide Receiver

The Detroit Lions have a depth of talent in their wide receiving corps, starting with All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown and stretching down to the bottom of the depth chart.

The team’s experience could create a difficult path for one rookie wide receiver vying for a roster spot. Jakobie Keeney-James joined the team as an undrafted free agent and is hoping to impress with his speed, but one insider predicts that he will land on the wrong side of the roster bubble at the end of the summer.

Jakobie Keeney-James Predicted to Fall Just Short

Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire broke down the undrafted free agents with the best chance of making Detroit’s roster this summer, putting Keeney-James near the top of the list. He noted that the rookie out of UMass has already created some buzz with his performances at early spring practices.

“Keeney-James stood out during spring sessions with his instant speed and strong hands in drills,” Risdon wrote. “That speed is his calling card for a potential roster spot in Detroit, where the No. 6 WR spot (if Detroit keeps six) is up for grabs between a group that includes Tom Kennedy, seventh-round rookie Dominic Lovett, newcomer Ronnie Bell and vet Malik Taylor.”

Keeney-James could face one critical disadvantage, however — he played mostly on offense, and the Lions place a high value on special teams, especially among rookies. Risdon wrote that Keeney-James could still have time to pick up a new role in the third phase of the game.

“Keeney-James, from UMass and Eastern Washington before that, has experience in both the slot and outside,” Risdon wrote. “He does lack special teams and return specialist creds, though he was in the punt return mix during OTAs. That’s his best chance for sticking on Detroit’s roster.”

Speedy Rookie Earned Some Buzz

Though Keeney-James didn’t hear his name called on NFL draft weekend, he has picked up some buzz as one of the fastest players at his position coming out of college this year. The Massachusetts Daily Collegian pointed out that only five plyears at the NFL combine had a faster time in the 40-yard dash, with Keeney-James saying he was locked in during Pro Day.

“I was able to hit that 4.3, that was my goal,” Keeney-James told the university’s newspaper. “… As I was running, it kind of felt like I was flying a little bit. [How] Usain Bolt describes that feeling, I felt that. I was able to kind of lock into that mode and execute it.” 

The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner predicted Keeney-James could end up carving out a good role due to his speed, though noted that his lack of production in college could give the Lions pause about handing him a spot on the 53-man roster.

“An elite athlete, Keeney-James (6-0, 190) ran a 4.37 40 with a 1.54-second 10-yard split at his pro day to go along with a 40 1/2-inch vertical, 10-6 broad jump and  4.07 short shuttle,” Baumgardner wrote. “He only had one real productive college season (51 catches, 870 yards in 2024) but has the traits to gamble on.”