Lions trade down, grab Northern Illinois WR Golladay

Allen Park – The Detroit Lions found their big wide receiver. After swapping third-round picks with the New England Patriots, the Lions selected Northern Illinois wide receiver Kenny Golladay.

Golladay stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds. He was one of the Mid-American Conference's most productive receivers the past two seasons, catching 160 passes for 2,285 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Lions were originally scheduled to select 85th overall, but shipped the pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for the 96th and 124th picks. The Patriots snagged Troy offensive tackle Antonio Garcia following the trade.

Golladay began his college career at North Dakota, but transferred when the team’s coach was fired following his sophomore season. As a sophomore, he hauled in 69 passes for 884 yards and eight scores.

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Running a 4.50-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine, Golladay proved to have good straight-line speed, and his 18 reps on the bench press were among the most for a receiver at the event.

He figures to see the field for the Lions early as a rookie in three-wide sets, paired with Golden Tate and Marvin Jones. The addition of Golladay likely signifies the Lions won’t re-sign veteran Anquan Boldin, who served at the team’s third receiver last season.

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @justin_rogers