With a possible opportunity in front of him, Detroit Lions rookie Antoine Green wants to quickly show he’s a complete receiver.
Without knowing exact numbers, seventh-round picks are instantly in an against-the-odds battle to make an NFL roster, let alone have a noticeable role as a rookie (or ever have a noticeable role, in plenty of cases). But things may be a little different for Lions rookie wide receiver Antoine Green.
Green was the Lions final selection in last month’s draft, at pick No. 219 overall. As seventh-rounders go, a receiver with good size (6-foot-1, 6-foot-2; around 200 pounds) and top-tier speed (4.47 40 at the NFL Combine) feels like a solid dart throw.
With DJ Chark gone and three gambling-related suspensions (most notably a six-game suspension for Jameson Williams) thinning the Lions’ wide receiver depth, there is a path to immediate opportunity for Green.
Green became a starter at North Carolina in his final two seasons there. Over that span, he averaged 19.1 yards per catch with 12 touchdowns in 22 games.
Antoine Green wants to show he’s a complete wide receiver
Via Ben Raven of MLive, Green clearly and surely obviously said he wants to show he’s more than just a deep threat.
I wanna be able to do it all. Our offense at UNC, I was a vertical threat for that offense, mainly,” Green said. “I just wanna show that I can do everything else outside of running that deep ball.
Compared to the offense that I was in, it’s a lot of diversity in this offense. I’m real excited just to be a part of the offense and learn more about the game and just the people that’s here.”
Via Pro Football Focus (h/t to Raven), seemingly just last season but unclear, Green ranked ninth among FBS wide receivers in average depth of target (18.1 yards) as he also averaged 2.34 yards per route run.
In the transition from college to the NFL, there’s often a difference between what someone was asked to do in a simpler college offense and what they can do as a pro. Green, again however obviously, wants to bridge that gap quickly.