Kaelin Clay, Terrence Alexander

Utah's Kaelin Clay scored four special teams touchdowns during his one season at Utah.

(AP File Photo)

New Detroit Lions special teams coordinator Joe Marciano made it clear he wants a serious competition for the return man job this offseason and that's been reflected in the team's pre-draft visits.

On Monday, the team hosted Utah wide receiver Kaelin Clay. A junior college transfer, he played just one season for the Utes, but was a force on special teams. He scored four touchdowns as a return man, housing three punts and a kickoff, earning first-team All-Pac 12 honors.

Clay measured in at 5-foot-10, 195 pounds at the scouting combine where he ran his 40-yard dash in 4.51 seconds. That's slower than you might expect for an elite return man, but it's been reported he significantly improved on the number at his pro day last month.

The Lions previously hosted UAB's J.J. Nelson, another one of the top return men from the NCAA ranks. They are also reportedly planning to bring in Kansas State's Tyler Lockett later this week.

Detroit's incumbent returner, Jeremy Ross, has averaged a respectable 11.2 yards on punts and 26.9 yards on kickoffs during his two years with the Lions. Ball security has been an issue as he's fumbled six times in 26 games.

Ross also led returners in fair catches in 2014, by a wide margin, negating his potential impact.

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