Grading Lions’ Round 5 pick WR Kendrick Law

College career

Law started his college career at Alabama for three years before transferring to Kentucky. He played in 34 games, starting eight at Alabama, and played 12 games with eight starts at Kentucky. At Alabama, he was used mostly as a kick returner in 2023 before seeing that role diminish in 2024, with little movement on the offensive side. In Kentucky, he still played some kick returner but had a bigger impact on the offense. He finished his college career with 86 catches for 883 yards and four touchdowns, returning 31 kicks for 710 yards.

there's a dozen of these types of WRs in this class

Branch, Burks, etc.

but Kentucky's Kendrick Law can really scoot and is a tough tackle. Wouldn't be surprised if he outperforms a few of the names ranked above him pic.twitter.com/32cRUpl2bV

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 2, 2026

Strengths and weaknesses

The biggest strength for Law is that he has solid hands, dropping only three catches in four years of playing. We saw the Lions receivers struggle with drops last season, so bringing in someone who doesn’t have that issue is helpful. He can be shifty with a 9.45 RAS, running a 4.45 40-yard dash at the 2026 NFL Combine.

Where he struggles is his route running, as he averaged 1.84 yards per route last season. The Lions expanded the route tree of Jameson Williams, so perhaps they could work with Law on giving him more opportunities and chances to do damage on catches that aren’t screen passes or quick slants. His pass-blocking skills could use some work. He only has 16 games of starting experience over four years of college, so he’ll need more time than others to improve his game, which he might not have in Detroit.

Kendrick Law (5’11 203) Kentucky

• Athleticism (9.45 RAS)
• Vision and elusiveness once the ball is in his hands
• Competitive as a blocker
• Just one drop in 2025
• Well-built frame
• Lateral agility
• Special teams’ experience

– 33.3% career contested catch rate
– Limited… pic.twitter.com/t79QlxqD04

— Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) March 14, 2026

Overall

Overall, I think this is the first miss for Holmes in this draft. While you could say he’s reached for the first two picks, this was certainly the biggest reach of them all. Giving up a sixth-round pick doesn’t bother me, but drafting a wide receiver this early seems like this year’s edition of Giovanni Manu. While it wasn’t a fourth-round pick, the team could have used a project player like this in the sixth or seventh round.

I know Holmes doesn’t draft based on need, but there are other holes on this team that they could have addressed with better talent. The tight end room needs someone who is under contract beyond 2026, the running back room could use competition at RB3, and the defense could still use some help at multiple spots. A fifth-round pick for someone who most likely will be a kick returner is a bit rich. If Law had better returning stats, I would feel better about this, but hopefully he can prove me wrong and maybe be WR5 this season.

Grade: C-