Kaden Davis made the most of his minicamp tryout with the Detroit Lions, impressing those in attendance with three touchdown catches before signing a contract to return this summer. Now, the previously undrafted rookie has the potential to earn a position on the active roster. Mike Moriatis of The Sporting News expected that Davis will take the final wide receiver spot, pushing veteran Tre’Quan Smith off the bubble and off the team entirely.
Kaden Davis Earned Contract After Turning Heads at Minicamp
Davis began his NFL career with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2022, spending part of the season on the team’s practice squad. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Davis later made his mark in the United Football League, catching eight catches for 83 yards in five games with the Michigan Panthers. Because of his versatility on special teams, Davis may have an easier time making the final roster in Detroit. The 25-year-old averaged 25.9 yards on kickoff returns for the Panthers, a skill that could be especially useful given new NFL regulations promoting kickoff returns.
Moriatis noted that Davis was one of the top performers at Detroit’s minicamp, showing off his skills as a wide receiver.
“As we stated earlier, this projection is based on who stood out the most during minicamp, and Davis certainly qualifies after being listed on two of our biggest standouts articles,” Moriatis wrote. “Davis recorded multiple touchdowns and displayed impressive hands with some nice catches over the three-day event.”
Tre’Quan Smith Could Face Uphill Battle
Smith joined the Lions this offseason in an attempt to fill some of the void left by the departure of Josh Reynolds. The 28-year-old has appeared in 35 games over the course of six NFL seasons, making 131 catches for 1,764 yards and 18 touchdowns.
