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With June turning into July and the start of summer camp beginning to get closer, it is never too early to look at some of the roster battles.
One battle that has snuck under the radar recently comes from the Lions wide receivers room.
A returning face, Tom Kennedy, could be the underdog to make the roster this season.
The position group has recently undergone some renovations, with a quartet of UFL receivers being brought in to replace Kyre Duplessis and an injured Kendrick Law at the end of organized team activities.
Law, a fifth-round pick this year, will miss the season.
The Lions also added Greg Dortch and Cedrick Wilson Jr.
before training camp.
Kennedy returns to the roster alongside Amon-Ra St.
Brown, Jameson Williams, Isaac TeSlaa, Dominic Lovett and Malik Cunningham.
With St.
Brown, Williams and TeSlaa all being solid roster locks, and Dortch likely being guaranteed a role as a return man, there is a battle for spots five and six, with the Lions likely carrying around that many at roster cuts.
While daunting at first, Kennedy is a player who sits in a good spot heading into 2026.
The case for Kennedy Kennedy is a player who has been in and out of the Motown lineup since before the beginning of the Dan Campbell-Brad Holmes era.
He was picked up in 2019, and finally made his first NFL catch in 2021 for the Lions.
After 14 catches between 2021 and 2022, Kennedy would not record another catch until last fall.
He has been through the highs and lows with Detroit, and provides return upside, as well.
Kennedy gets praise for being ready to go at any point, and also his resilience and grit are among the foundational pillars of Campbells tenure in Detroit.
Kennedy provided a spark with his four catches, and registered a career-long 42-yard kick return in 2025.
With Kalif Raymond taking his talents to Chicago, Kennedy can become the return man alongside Dortch or Jacob Saylors.
This season could easily be his year, but he does face tough competition from both Lovett and Wilson.
Wilson recorded a 600-yard campaign in 2021, and has played in 10 or more games every season since 2020.
Lovett, meanwhile, is primed for a step-up this season after playing in 12 games without a target as a rookie.
While the quartet of UFL receivers all factor into the equation, it is hard to see them passing Kennedy, considering his knowledge of the playbook.
Cunningham also likely slots behind, as his one game played in 2025 came when he was behind Kennedy on the depth chart.
Despite his numerous transactions and 30 games played with Detroit, Kennedy has only made the initial 53-man roster once, back in 2021.
However, five years later, it could be Touchdown Tom Kennedy making his way onto the Lions 53-man for the second time.
Sports writer since 2022.
Emmett Matasovsky started covering the Detroit Lions in 2025.
He has extensive experience covering Michigan State Spartans athletics, including MSU basketball and football.
Has demonstrated passionate, in-depth coverage of college athletics.
Follow E_Matasovsky57.