Jared Goff surely knows good wide receivers when he sees them, and he has given Kalif Raymond some very lofty praise.
The Detroit Lions have been searching for someone to emerge as their No. 1 wide receiver, with injuries removing Tyrell Williams and Quintez Cephus from the mix. Enter Kalif Raymond, who had 115 yards on six catches against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7.
More broadly, Raymond has been the most consistent Lions’ wide receiver so far this season. In five of seven games, he has hit at least one of the following marks–six receptions, 50 yards and/or a touchdown.
Over the last two games, Raymond has 12 catches on 15 targets from Jared Goff. When the Lions signed Raymond to a one-year deal in the offseason, Goff has admitted he knew nothing about the little-known but fairly well-traveled receiver.
But from his time with the Rams, Goff does know what a good wide receiver looks like.
Jared Goff heaps huge praise on Kalif Raymond
Via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
“I think I’ve been lucky to work with some really good receivers who practice hard and that’s the main thing,” Goff said Wednesday. “He practices hard. Cooper Kupp was the same. Robert Woods was the same. Brandin Cooks was the same. And Kalif is the same in that way where you know where he’s going to be, you can trust him, you can rely on him and he’s accountable. And that’s all you can ask for as a quarterback.”
Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn cited how Raymond impressed from the start, and has seized the opportunties that have landed in front of him.
“He’s impressed us from the first day he got here,” Lynn said. “We were like, ‘Why are the Titans letting him out of there?’ But he’s done nothing but just make the most out of his opportunities.”
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Raymond has brought a much-needed spark to the Lions’ passing game, leading the team with six 20-plus yard catches while making some not-so-routine catches. Comparing him to Kupp, etc. is aggressive, but Raymond seems to have found his place in Detroit and his connection with Goff seems to be getting better each week.