Detroit Lions looking at mid-round WRs; NIU's Kenny Golladay to visit
Golladay is the third known wide receiver who will make a Top-30 draft visit to Allen Park
UPDATE: Lions pick Northern Illionis WR Kenny Golladay in Round 3 of NFL draft
With Anquan Boldin still a free agent and no clear No. 3 wide receiver on the roster, the Detroit Lions are turning their attention to the position in this month's NFL draft.
The Lions will host Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay on a pre-draft visit Thursday in Allen Park.
NFL teams are allowed to host 30 prospects on pre-draft visits. The Lions also have visits set up with Ole Miss receiver Damore’ea Stringfellow and UNLV defensive end Jeremiah Valoaga, among others.
Golladay had an impressive showing at the NFL combine last month, running a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at 6-feet-4 and 218 pounds. He led Northern Illinois with 87 catches for 1,156 yards last season and became the first player in school history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
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Both Golladay and the 6-2, 218-pound Stringfellow are potential mid-round picks. Stringfellow started his college career at Washington before off-field problems caused him to transfer to Ole Miss in 2014.
Valoaga also dealt with injuries and other issues during his time at UNLV. He was dismissed from the team last year for an undisclosed violation of athletic department rules.
Neither Stringfellow nor Valoaga were invited to the combine.
The Lions return leading receivers Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, but lost return man Andre Roberts in free agency and are waiting on Boldin to decide where he wants to play his 15th NFL season.
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said last week that the door remains open for Boldin to return to Detroit.
Beyond Tate and Jones, the Lions have little experience on their roster at receiver. Jace Billingsley and TJ Jones spent most of last season on the practice squad, and Jared Abbrederis signed a futures contract after the season.
The Lions also are expecting about two dozen players at their local workout Friday in Allen Park.
Here’s a partial list of players expected to take part in the Lions’ local day: RB De’Veon Smith, Michigan; OL Ben Braden, Michigan; S Delano Hill, Michigan; S Dymonte Thomas, Michigan; DE Taco Charlton, Michigan (meetings only); DL Chris Wormley, Michigan (meetings only); TE Jake Butt (meetings only); CB Jeremy Clark, Michigan (meetings only); TE Jamal Lyles, Michigan State; LB David Talley, Grand Valley State; DL De’Ondre Hogan, Grand Valley State; LB Brady Sheldon, Ferris State; OT Cole Gardner, Eastern Michigan; OL Andrew Wylie, Eastern Michigan; DE Patrick O’Connor, Eastern Michigan; OT Nate Theaker, Wayne State; OL Robert Kelly, Wayne State; OL Collin Buchanan, Miami of Ohio; DB Desmond King, Iowa (meetings only).
Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.