Kaden Davis made the most of his minicamp tryout with the Detroit Lions, impressing those in attendance with multiple touchdown catches and ultimately earning a contract to return this summer.
Now, the former undrafted rookie could parlay that opportunity into a spot on the active roster. Mike Moriatis of The Sporting News predicted that Davis would earn the final spot at wide receiver, pushing veteran Tre’Quan Smith off the bubble and off the roster entirely.
Kaden Davis Earned Contract After Turning Heads at Minicamp
Davis first came into the NFL with the Denver Broncos in 2022 as an undrafted free agent, spending part of that season on the team’s practice squad. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted, Davis later made his mark in the UFL, catching eight passes for 83 yards in five games with the Michigan Panthers.
Davis could have more help in his quest to make the final roster in Detroit thanks to his special teams versatility. The 25-year-old averaged 25.9 yards on kickoff returns with the Panthers, a skill that could be especially helpful thanks to new NFL rules encouraging 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.
Smith has struggled with injuries during his career, missing each of the last three season-opening games after suffering summer injuries. He appeared in just one game last season after being released by the New Orleans Saints and signing on with the Denver Broncos.
Jeff Risdon of USA Today’s Lions Wire noted that Smith will have the chance to rebound with the Lions, but will have to prove his worth against a set of more versatile wide receivers.
“It’s a low-risk shot for the Lions to extend one last chance to Smith, who is very familiar for coach Dan Campbell from his Saints days,” Risdon wrote. “Smith is in Detroit on a future/reserve contract, the same basic status as an undrafted rookie — and a lesser commitment from the team than UDFA Isaiah Williams. Smith has no appreciable experience playing special teams, a general requisite for the bottom of the roster players.”
Risdon added that the summer will be crucial to Smith’s chances and he will need to outshine his competition.
“If he’s got anything left to offer, Smith will have ample opportunity to show it over the upcoming OTAs and minicamp at a position where the Lions could really use an unexpected jolt of fresh optimism,” Risdon wrote.