By Blessing 
Head coach Dan Campbell recently stirred up some discussion when he mentioned his desire for the Detroit Lions to “get younger” at wide receiver. It’s an interesting comment, especially considering the current makeup of Detroit’s offense. The Lions already feature a core of young, dynamic pass catchers, and only one of their top receivers is older than 25—and he’s their third option.
Still, a recent mock draft has the Lions targeting another wide receiver in the second round.
In Fantasy Life’s newest mock draft, analyst Thor Nystrom predicts that Detroit will use the 60th overall pick to select Jayden Higgins out of Iowa State. Higgins isn’t your typical big-name draft prospect. He began his college career at Eastern Kentucky before transferring to Iowa State, meaning his journey to national recognition was a little unconventional.
But once he got to the Big 12, Higgins made his presence known. In his junior year, he racked up 53 catches for 983 yards and six touchdowns. Then he followed that up with an even better senior season, hauling in 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns—numbers good enough to earn him Second Team All-Big 12 honors.
There’s no denying Higgins’ talent and production, but taking a receiver this early in the draft feels like a luxury pick for a team that doesn’t exactly lack weapons. Amon-Ra St. Brown is already one of the best in the game. Jameson Williams, a former first-rounder, just crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time and is eligible for a fifth-year option. Add in standout tight end Sam LaPorta and versatile back Jahmyr Gibbs—both serious threats in the passing game—and you have an offense already stacked with talent.
Even if a rookie like Higgins were to beat out Tim Patrick for the WR3 role, the volume of targets just isn’t there. That’s why the idea of taking a receiver—even in the third round—feels like a bit of a reach.
Yes, Campbell’s comments suggest he wants to build a younger wide receiver room, and the logic behind that isn’t wrong. But with other pressing needs still on the board heading into 2025 and beyond, the Lions may be better off using those valuable draft picks elsewhere. Higgins is a promising player—but for Detroit, the timing may not be right.