Ex-NFL receiver: Lions' Kenny Golladay poised for a breakout season

In his 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Reggie Wayne caught 1,070 passes and averaged more than 1,000 yards receiving per seasons, earning six Pro Bowl berths along the way.

It's safe to say, Wayne knows a little about wide receivers.

He thinks the Lions have a good one in Kenny Golladay.

Golladay, fresh off a 1,000-yard season and entering his third in the NFL, is one of seven receivers Wayne says are "set to break out" in 2019 in a piece posted Wednesday for NFL.com.

Wayne's list only includes players still will be playing under their rookie contracts this season, and doesn't include players who already have enjoyed their breakout.

That's a potential scary thought for those lining up to defend the 25-year-old Golladay, who led the Lions with 1,063 yards receiving on 70 catches, and tied Marvin Jones Jr. with a team-leading five touchdown catches.

It's only going to get better for Golladay, a third-round pick in 2017 out of Northern Illinois, Wayne projects.

Golladay had one of the quietest 1,000-yard receiving seasons last year," Wayne writes. "Golladay has shown improvement year over year, slowly but surely becoming Matthew Stafford's favorite target. Now, he heads into his third pro season as the team's top wideout, and I could see him recording 1,200-1,300 receiving yards this fall."

The Lions' group of pass catchers has seen some turnover since the middle of last season, starting with the trade of Golden Tate to the Eagles. The Lions essentially replaced Tate with Danny Amendola in the offseason, and drafted tight end T.J. Hockenson at No. 8 overall — part of a revamped group of tight ends.

"Stafford has plenty of weapons to utilize," Wayne continued, "Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, Jesse James and T.J. Hockenson — but make no mistake, Golladay will lead the charge in a major way."