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As I continue my player profiles and individual player breakdowns, before I wrap up the offensive line series I’m making a quick shift to the Lions’ projected No. 4 wide receiver. Many fans might believe a fourth wide receiver will not be a major contributor, but with the departure of Kalif Raymond, Greg Dortch could have a bigger role than expected.
Dortch comes to Detroit after spending five seasons with the Cardinals including three seasons under Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Dortch expressed his excitement to reunite with Petzing in Detroit.
“Detroit fits who I am as a man,” he said. “The grit. The toughness. The getting it out of the mud. That’s me!”
Dortch entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and would end up signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2019 following his collegiate career at Wake Forest.
Standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 173 pounds, his lack of ideal size and a wrist injury during college caused him to go undrafted, though he was widely viewed as a late-round or priority free-agent prospect.
Dortch was praised for his elite quickness, explosive change-of-direction ability and burst off the line of scrimmage. He was highly elusive in tight spaces and established himself as a playmaker both as a slot receiver and return specialist.
After spending just two seasons at Wake Forest, Dortch appeared in 20 games, recording 142 receptions for 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns. His sophomore season was especially impressive, as he totaled 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Dortch had 12 rushing attempts for 29 yards in college. With Arizona, he added 21 carries for 119 yards and one rushing touchdown. He has proven he can handle the ball out of the backfield and on jet sweeps, something I believe Petzing will design specifically for him.
Since 2022, Dortch ranks fifth among 88 qualifying wide receivers (minimum 100 receptions) with 6.6 yards after the catch per reception and seventh with a 2.1% drop rate.
Over that same span, Raymond ranks tied for seventh in yards after the catch per reception (5.9) and second in drop rate (1.3%).
Raymond (111) and Dortch (92) also rank first and second in the NFL in punt returns during that stretch. It’s clear Detroit wanted to replace Raymond with someone similar of his caliber and they did just that by signing Dortch.
Career stats: 191 targets, 145 receptions, 1,310 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
2025 stats: 33 targets, 29 receptions, four touchdowns, 215 routes run, two drops, 7.1 yards per reception and a 123 passer rating when targeted. He also totaled 811 kick return yards and 185 punt return yards.
Dortch has qualified for PFF grading in just two seasons during his career. In 2024, he earned a 63.9 overall grade and a 65.2 receiving grade. In 2022, he posted a 64.2 overall grade and a 67.2 receiving grade.
Overall, I don’t expect Dortch to be a major playmaker for the Lions, but he is a quality depth piece if Detroit suffers injuries at wide receiver. He is also more than qualified to replace Raymond as the team’s primary return specialist and should provide value on special teams from Day 1.
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Dortch comes to Detroit after spending five seasons with the Cardinals including three seasons under Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Dortch expressed his excitement to reunite with Petzing in Detroit.
“Detroit fits who I am as a man,” he said. “The grit. The toughness. The getting it out of the mud. That’s me!”
Dortch entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent and would end up signing with the Carolina Panthers in 2019 following his collegiate career at Wake Forest.
Standing 5-foot-7 and weighing 173 pounds, his lack of ideal size and a wrist injury during college caused him to go undrafted, though he was widely viewed as a late-round or priority free-agent prospect.
Dortch was praised for his elite quickness, explosive change-of-direction ability and burst off the line of scrimmage. He was highly elusive in tight spaces and established himself as a playmaker both as a slot receiver and return specialist.
After spending just two seasons at Wake Forest, Dortch appeared in 20 games, recording 142 receptions for 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns. His sophomore season was especially impressive, as he totaled 1,078 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
Dortch had 12 rushing attempts for 29 yards in college. With Arizona, he added 21 carries for 119 yards and one rushing touchdown. He has proven he can handle the ball out of the backfield and on jet sweeps, something I believe Petzing will design specifically for him.
Since 2022, Dortch ranks fifth among 88 qualifying wide receivers (minimum 100 receptions) with 6.6 yards after the catch per reception and seventh with a 2.1% drop rate.
Over that same span, Raymond ranks tied for seventh in yards after the catch per reception (5.9) and second in drop rate (1.3%).
Raymond (111) and Dortch (92) also rank first and second in the NFL in punt returns during that stretch. It’s clear Detroit wanted to replace Raymond with someone similar of his caliber and they did just that by signing Dortch.
Career stats: 191 targets, 145 receptions, 1,310 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.
2025 stats: 33 targets, 29 receptions, four touchdowns, 215 routes run, two drops, 7.1 yards per reception and a 123 passer rating when targeted. He also totaled 811 kick return yards and 185 punt return yards.
Dortch has qualified for PFF grading in just two seasons during his career. In 2024, he earned a 63.9 overall grade and a 65.2 receiving grade. In 2022, he posted a 64.2 overall grade and a 67.2 receiving grade.
Overall, I don’t expect Dortch to be a major playmaker for the Lions, but he is a quality depth piece if Detroit suffers injuries at wide receiver. He is also more than qualified to replace Raymond as the team’s primary return specialist and should provide value on special teams from Day 1.
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