
Neville: Arsenal will need wheelbarrow to get over line in PL title race
Neville says Arsenal will need a wheelbarrow to win the PL title after edging past Newcastle.
The Detroit Lions surprised fans by trading up in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select wide receiver Kendrick Law from Kentucky. This unexpected move involved trading a sixth-round pick to secure Law, shifting the team's focus from defense to offense.
Mentioned in this story
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - NOVEMBER 29: Kendrick Law #1 of the Kentucky Wildcats runs on a kick return in the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on November 29, 2025 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the first surprise of the 2026 NFL Draft for the Detroit Lions, the team traded up in the fifth round and took wide receiver Kendrick Law from Kentucky. The Lions didnât give up much, trading away one of their sixth-round picks (213) to move up from 181 to 168. This is the first time of the draft where the Lions did an audible and took something that nobody expected.
The focus so far has been on the defense with their last three picks, and when it came to the offensive side of the ball, wide receiver wasnât on anybodyâs radar at this point in the draft. I wouldâve thought tight end would have had a bigger need than wide receiver, but we know that the Lions like to do best player available sometimes. Was this trade-up worth it, or did general manager Brad Holmes take another risk on a pick the team couldâve used better?
The Lions have some interesting competition outside of the top three wide receivers. The team signed Greg Dortch in free agency to be the replacement for Kalif Raymond, and they have a seventh-round pick from 2025, Dominic Lovett, looking to get a chance to hit the field in 2026. Law comes to compete with Dortch and Lovett to be the WR4 on this team. Heâs not likely to wrangle the punt returner job from Dortch, but he has experience returning kicks. So if he canât win a job on offense, that could be his role on the team.
Best-case here is that Law plays WR4 and becomes the teamâs main kick returner, but worst case, he might get cut. The Lions might not have room to keep six wide receivers, so if he canât beat out Dortch and Lovett, the practice squad would be calling his name.
If you're looking for a gadget WR, I think the best value in the 2026 class is Kendrick Law.
â Top-tier athlete with decent size & a ton of juice after the catch
â Instantly erases pursuit angles & tightropes the sideline for extra yards
â 3.4% career drop rate
â Competitive run⊠pic.twitter.com/luvC97ByQfâ James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) January 22, 2026
The Lions traded up to select Kendrick Law to secure a wide receiver, despite the focus being on defense in earlier rounds.
The Lions traded away their sixth-round pick (213) to move up from 181 to 168 in the draft.
Kendrick Law plays as a wide receiver.
Kendrick Law's selection could enhance the Lions' offensive options, especially as they shift focus from defense to bolstering their receiving corps.

Neville says Arsenal will need a wheelbarrow to win the PL title after edging past Newcastle.
Kazuma Okamoto shines again as Blue Jays beat Guardians 5-3!
Check out the Detroit Lions' 2026 NFL Draft picks and key selections!
Rams finally draft a WR, selecting CJ Daniels in the 2026 NFL Draft!
LA Sparks secure a solid victory over Team Nigeria, 89-63, at Viejas Arena.
2026 NFL Draft: Surprising Picks and Player Job Risks
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
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
â Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 2, 2026
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 doesnât 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 arenât 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 heâll need more time than others to improve his game, which he might not have in Detroit.
Kendrick Law (5â11 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 teamsâ experience
â 33.3% career contested catch rate
â Limited⊠pic.twitter.com/t79QlxqD04â Bengals & Brews (@BengalsBrews) March 14, 2026
Overall, I think this is the first miss for Holmes in this draft. While you could say heâs reached for the first two picks, this was certainly the biggest reach of them all. Giving up a sixth-round pick doesnât bother me, but drafting a wide receiver this early seems like this yearâs edition of Giovanni Manu. While it wasnât a fourth-round pick, the team could have used a project player like this in the sixth or seventh round.
I know Holmes doesnât 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-