Detroit Free Press sports reporter Dave Birkett takes a position-by-position look at the top prospects and biggest Detroit Lions needs in the 2020 NFL draft. This is the fifth in an eight-part series. Next up: Defensive line.

Wide receiver/tight ends

On the Lions roster: WR : Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones, Danny Amendola, Marvin Hall, Geronimo Allison, Geremy Davis, Chris Lacy, Victor Bolden, Travis Fulgham, Tom Kennedy. TE : T.J. Hockenson, Jesse James, Isaac Nauta, Matt Sokol.

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Lions' needs: When it comes to sneaky needs, receiver ranks among the Lions’ most surreptitious. They return their top four receivers from last season and signed a pair of backups in free agency, but don’t have a projected contributor at the position under contract beyond 2020. Golladay is in line for a contract extension this summer, and has emerged as one of the more dangerous pass catchers in the NFL. But in an incredibly deep class, the Lions would be wise to find a young receiver.

Historically, general manager Bob Quinn has favored drafting bigger outside receivers (Golladay, Fulgham) and taken fliers on young slot types (Kennedy, Jace Billingsley, Brandon Powell). Jones is coming off his second straight season-ending injury, so it’s reasonable to think the Lions could target a speedy outside receiver in the mid-rounds. They don’t need someone who’ll contribute this fall, as Golladay, Jones and Amendola all topped 60 catches last year and Davis should be a core special-teams player. But they can’t afford to come away from the draft without someone who projects to be a down-the-road starter, either.

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At tight end, the Lions spent a first-round pick on Hockenson and paid in free agency to land James last season. There’s no pressing need at the position, but adding a player to compete for the No. 3 job with Nauta isn’t out of the question. This is a subpar tight end class, and if the Lions add a player at the position, he’ll likely come with a specific skill set and/or need some development.

Top 3 WR prospects: 1. CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma; 2. Henry Ruggs, Alabama; 3. Jerry Jeudy, Alabama.

Top 3 TE prospects: 1. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame; 2. Adam Trautman, Dayton; 3. Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri

Other players with Michigan ties: WR : Van Jefferson, Florida (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s); K.J. Hamler, Penn State (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s); Cody White, Michigan State; Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan; Trishton Jackson, Syracuse (West Bloomfield); Darrell Stewart Jr., Michigan State; Mathew Sexton, Eastern Michigan. TE : Giovanni Ricci, Western Michigan; Matt Seybert, Michigan State; Devin Asiasi, UCLA (Michigan).

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Day 3 prospect who could interest Lions: WR: Tyler Johnson, Minnesota. TE: Stephen Sullivan, LSU.

Draft dish: This is one of the deepest receiver classes in draft history, with NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah saying he has 27 receivers with top three-round grades. Not all of those players will go on the first two days of the draft, but the depth is such that first-year contributors should abound. Lamb, Ruggs and Jeudy stand apart as the top receivers, and all three have different strengths on the field. Lamb is ultra-physical and productive after the catch, capable of playing both inside and out. Ruggs is the fastest player in the draft and someone who excelled on special teams in college. And Jeudy is a silky route runner who projects best as a slot receiver in the NFL.

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LSU’s Justin Jefferson, who ran a surprising 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine, should go somewhere in the back half of the first round, and Arizona State’s Brandon Aiyuk, Clemson’s Tee Higgins, Baylor’s Denzel Mims and TCU’s Jalen Reagor are other potential top 50 picks. Kentucky’s Lynn Bowden led the SEC in rushing while playing quarterback most of last year, and Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool wins with imposing size. Among the local prospects, Hamler and Van Jefferson stand the best chance of going on Day 2. Hamler is a bottle rocket whose stock could be hurt by drop problems in college, and Jefferson, the son of former Lions receivers coach Shawn Jefferson, is recovering from foot surgery. Peoples-Jones is one of the best athletes in the draft, White and Jackson offer size on the outside, and Sexton is a late-rising prospect who impressed scouts at his pro day.

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The tight end position is nowhere near as deep as receiver, and this could be the first year since 2016 that none go in the first round. Kmet (6-6, 262) has good size and receiving ability, and Trautman, a Michigan native, is a converted quarterback who shined at the Senior Bowl. Thaddeus Moss, the son of Hall-of-Fame receiver Randy Moss, could slide to Day 3 because of injury concerns, and Okwuegbunam, Washington Hunter’s Bryant and Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant are jockeying to be the third tight end off the board.

Recent Lions draft picks at WR: 2019: Travis Fulgham (6th round). 2018: None. 2017: Kenny Golladay (3rd round). 2016: None.

Recent Lions draft picks at TE: 2019: T.J. Hockenson (1st round), Isaac Nauta (7th round). 2018: None. 2017: Michael Roberts (4th round). 2016: None.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.