The Detroit Lions didn’t do a ton at the NFL trade deadline like some thought they would do. They kept it conservative and went out and got a receiver they felt could really help them in former Michigan standout Donovan Peoples-Jones.
In my opinion, and I’ve documented that opinion, Peoples-Jones is a very underrated addition to this Lions team. They don’t have a true number two receiver and they haven’t had an X receiver that specializes in contested catches in years. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds are decent when catching contested balls, but they don’t really do it a whole lot.
Still, I wanted to learn more about Peoples-Jones just like you do. So I reached out to our Browns beat writer Brandon Little to get more information on the Lions newest receiver. Here’s what he had to say:
What happened with Peoples-Jones this year? He had been a big part of the Browns offense until this season
“The production for Peoples-Jones fell off mightily. He is struggling to get separation, which is a common theme so far in his career. Another reason is the Browns quarterback play, it’s been as bad as it can get at times this season. Cleveland went out and got Elijah Moore and he’s taken over Peoples-Jones’ production from last season.”
It’s believed that the place that Peoples-Jones succeeds the most is in the contested catch category. It that for real?
“This is the bread and butter for D.P.J. He’s very smooth at catching in traffic, something he has to do sometimes too win. As mentioned since he is not a great separator, he often struggled to get out of his breaks. This brings upon a lot of contested catches that he’s become dependable to make. There were times while Baker Mayfield was in Cleveland that DPJ kind of found himself as a security blanket. He is normally a pretty sure hand on tape.”
What is Peoples-Jones’ weakness?
“Peoples-Jones is not necessarily a great route runner it’s part of his separation issue. He can be a deep threat for an offense that can win down field with tough catches. Asking him to run complex routes isn’t his best usage certainly.”
I immediately saw him as a guy that could be the Lions WR2 for multiple reasons. He fits what the Lions want and there’s a lot more stability at QB. Do you think this is possible?
“Peoples-Jones is a player that can definitely be a second option and should be with Amon St. Brown garnering so much attention. He’s not a high end second option in my opinion, don’t expect a 1,000 yard season out of him, though he can bring you somewhere in the 600-800 range consistently.”
Do you think the Lions got a steal with Peoples-Jones?
“It’s a nice get for the Lions that fills a need for them. I don’t think they stole him, the Browns were going to let him walk as a free agent if all pans out with Cedric Tillman. The Browns likely got something for a player that wasn’t helping them, while the Lions likely found themselves a player that can fit better for them.”
That’s some good information from Little. The good thing for Peoples-Jones is that he doesn’t have to be the separator in Detroit since they got guys that can already do that. The Place I’m looking to see the Lions use Peoples-Jones is when they get closer to the end zone. They don’t have a guy that can just fight for the ball down there. You saw it against the Raiders on Monday. The Lions had to try to get creative in the red zone and it didn’t work out. The Lions are 21st in the NFL in red zone scoring. This doesn’t completely solve the problem, but it helps for sure.