The Dynasty Potential of Kenny Golladay
The Lions have been among the league’s most laughable losers, but a bright spot in Detroit’s sea of darkness just happens to be fourth-year wideout Kenny Golladay. A fan favorite in the Motor City, Golladay has made it to the potential expected upon him when general manager Bob Quinn drafted him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Golladay put up career numbers in his third season with the Lions, with 65 receptions for 1,190 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 18.31 yards per reception. Keep in mind that this was done in spite of playing without Matthew Stafford for eight games, and in the games the two played together, Golladay had 35 catches for 640 yards, seven touchdowns, and 18.29 yards per reception. His efforts rewarded him with the very first Pro Bowl appearance of his career, as he was able to play as an alternate.
In other words, Golladay would’ve been on pace for 70 catches, 1,280 yards, and 14 touchdowns with a healthy Stafford. FantasyData had him at 104 points in his first eight games, and had he kept the same pace he would’ve been on track for 208 fantasy points, which would’ve put him second behind Michael Thomas for all receivers.
Where Golladay landed, however, was barely that off from that reality. His 183 fantasy points were not only 47th among all players in 2019, but third among all wide receivers, putting him behind Thomas and Chris Godwin. For a receiver who had to play with the likes of Jeff Driskel and David Blough for half a season, that’s astonishingly good.
Normally any receiver I talk about in these pieces gets mostly praised for their ability to separate against both traditional man and press coverage, but Golladay is an exception to that rule. No, that’s not to say he can’t create separation, but his best trait is hauling in 50/50 catches and giving whoever is his quarterback a favorable margin of error.
Many receivers of this style just can’t keep up if they don’t have an ability to separate, but Golladay has continued to get better and better as his career in the NFL has progressed. The more experience he gets, the more it seems like he’ll catch anything you throw his way, and his biggest fans understand that he’s a freak at the catch point.
Unless any extensions come soon, Golladay is in the final year of his rookie contract. He’ll turn 27 late in November, which still gives him plenty of time to be a valuable asset in dynasty leagues. It goes without saying that he’s proven this in his first three seasons in the league, so let’s dive into his tape to find out just why I think his success will be sustainable.
You need no introduction to the most appealing part of Golladay’s game since I’ve already displayed it in great detail: His hands. Similar to past and current Lions receivers Calvin Johnson and Marvin Jones, Golladay is a ball magnet who will either make quick adjustments to inaccurate throws on the fly or catch passes at an angle that few other receivers can offer.
This go-ahead touchdown catch against the Chiefs is one such example. While not extremely distant from the defensive back, Golladay has his foe boxed out, allowing Stafford to throw up a jump ball for his receiver. It’s one thing for Golladay to be able to make this catch, but then he has to concentrate on landing with two feet in bounds. Fortunately, he has some of the best sideline footwork in football, so he’s able to drag one foot and drop the other down just before he arrives out of bounds.
Golladay will also turn potential interceptions into momentum-shifting catches, as shown on this touchdown against the Giants. The ball should be thrown more outside so as the defensive back does not successfully interfere with the pass, but ultimately Golladay’s toughness at the catch point cancels this out. He’s able to reach out and touch faith, snagging the pass while again using tight footwork to stay in bounds just barely for the touchdown.
With plays like this, where Golladay turns a behind throw from Stafford into a first down with ease, the Lions’ most exciting skill player shows just why fans love him. A better pass would’ve resulted in a lot more than just a first down, as Golladay seemed to have plenty of open field ahead of him, but his strong hands are at the very least able to prevent this play from turning into something worse.
A flag is thrown on this play for defensive interference, so the throw itself is actually fine even if it looks like Golladay is trying to adjust. Really, Golladay successfully adjusts to the interference on the play and is able to work his way back to the ball, track it, and secure it in his hands to move the chains. This is what I mean by “he catches anything you throw at him.” It’s the kind of play that makes players like DeAndre Hopkins, Courtland Sutton, and Golladay’s own teammate Marvin Jones so appealing as players.
With offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell at the helm, it’s likely that the Lions will continue to run the same offense as in 2018. That may seem like a bad thing considering their 3-12-1 record, but keep in mind the Lions were in plenty of close games in 2019, half of which was without Stafford, so it stretches the field more than the offensive of former coordinator Jim Bob Cooter did.
In addition to his hands, Golladay is also a great match for Stafford’s arm talent because he works as a vertical target. This is what’s truly made him and Jones arguably the league’s most underrated receiving duo, and while Golladay doesn’t have the highest degree of ankle-breaking routes, he’s able to do enough to burn his opponents and create enough separation downfield.
Kenny Golladay isn’t the most complete receiver in football, but what works well for him works really damn well. He’s a high-quality deep threat with even higher quality hands, and since he finished in the top three in FantasyData’s numbers, he’s a pretty safe bet to be targeted between rounds two-four of your dynasty drafts.
Regardless of whether Matthew Stafford has thrown to him or his backups have, Golladay has been worthy of the hype he’s received. Of course, things would be better with Stafford as his QB, but his play didn’t drop off substantially with Jeff Driskel and David Blough, so he’s the kind of wide receiver every team would love to have.
That goes just the same for you and your dynasty team.
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