Life on the margins in the NFL can be a bit hectic, which is something 29-year-old receiver Malik Taylor is familiar with. Despite entering the league in 2019 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and more firmly with the Green Bay Packers, he's been bouncing around the league. Now, he's headed to a bitter Packers rival, the Detroit Lions, after a standout performance in minicamp on a tryout earned him a contract in Motown.
Taylor spent his first four NFL seasons from 2019-22 in Green Bay before being released and landing on the New York Jets for a couple of years, including last season, though he didn't see the field in regular-season action. That ultimately led to him getting a tryout during Lions minicamp nearly immediately after the draft and he impressed more than enough to get a contract to join the 90-man roster.
Despite how well-traveled he's been, Taylor is a Flint, MI native, giving him some local ties to Detroit. However, after showing some promise as an X-receiver in minicamp, which makes sense given his 6-foot-1, 220-pound frame with 4.46 speed in the pre-draft process, he now offers the Lions a chance to really get one over on the rival Packers.
Lions can get one over on Packers after signing WR Malik Taylor
Taylor has only appeared in 28 regular-season games in his career, 25 of which came between 2020 and 2021 with the Packers. He was used in a limited capacity on offense, though it's notable that four of his five catches (on six targets) in 2020 went for first downs with one going for a touchdown. Just as importantly, he was a heavily used special teams player that season.
The Lions not only bringing him in for a tryout but keeping him on the 90-man roster opens an intriguing possibility for Taylor's future in the Motor City. As of right now, Detroit has Amon-Ra St. Browns and Jameson Williams entrenched as their top two starters at receiver. Behind that duo, however, it's a bit more up in the air. Tim Patrick and Kalif Raymond are niche veterans who have limited upside, rookies Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett are talented but perhaps a bit raw, and the depth beyond that is lacking.
Subsequently, the Lions could absolutely give Taylor a real shot to make the roster. Outside of Raymond, the special teams contributions of the wide receiver room appear somewhat muted, something that could allow Taylor to stand out. On top of that, his physical tools suggest that perhaps — and the coaches clearly liked what they saw in minicamp — he could factor into the offense as well.
Not only is it always nice for a contender like the Lions to stumble into a usable piece like Taylor seems like he could be, it's a sweetener to be able to hold it over the Packers' head. The hated rivals and evil empire of the NFC North cast Taylor aside and has been shuffling receivers since. If the Lions can now make one of the cast-offs work in Detroit, it's always nice to have something to hold over a rival's head.