Lions receiver Greg Dortch pushes again on ‘gadget’ label

Allen Park — Detroit Lions receiver Greg Dortch is not any stranger to taking part in in an offense loaded with expertise.

Dortch was with the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, once they received 11 video games, together with their first seven in a row, and completed with an Expected Points Added (EPA) per go that ranked eighth within the NFL, at plus-0.11. DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green and Christian Kirk had been starters, and Rondale Moore, who had 435 yards that season, served because the group’s backup choice within the slot when Kirk bumped exterior.

Which unit, between Arizona’s in 2021 and Detroit’s in 2026, is extra proficient?

“I think it’s close, man,” Dortch mentioned Thursday. “I think that ’21 offense … with DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Green — those are two Hall of Famers — Christian Kirk, you had Rondale Moore, (running back) James Conner, (quarterback) Kyler (Murray), we had a really good offense.

“But this offense right here is explosive, and guys are youthful. I’d give us (in Detroit) the sting.”

Dortch hopes to be more productive this upcoming season than he was in 2021, as he was limited to three catches for 15 yards in his first year with the Cardinals. He went on to hold a more prominent role in 2022 (467 yards on 52 catches) and was a legitimate contributor under offensive coordinator Drew Petzing from 2023-25, compiling 879 yards from scrimmage and nine total touchdowns.

Petzing is getting into his first yr as Detroit’s offensive coordinator.

“The performs are related, however they are not,” Dortch said when asked how much his familiarity with Petzing puts him at an advantage early in training camp. “You’ve simply acquired to indicate up, regardless if Drew’s right here, regardless if I’ve one other offensive coordinator, I nonetheless have to indicate up and achieve their belief and be constant. That’s what I’m making an attempt to do on daily basis.”

What additionally made Dortch interesting to the Lions, who signed the speedy receiver this offseason to replace the outgoing Kalif Raymond, are his skills as a returner. Dortch has averaged 9.1 yards per punt return over the last four seasons, and his average as a kick returner over that same stretch is 23.9 yards.

Dortch averaged a career-high 11.6 yards per punt return in 2025, which ranked 12th among the 35 players who had at least 10 attempts.

“The return abilities are second to none, in my view,” Petzing said. “I feel he does an excellent job with the ball in his fingers. He performs within the slot quite a bit, or has, which I feel is one thing he does at a excessive stage. … He’s acquired to exit and earn that proper now all through camp, and I feel he is doing a pleasant job of going on the market and competing.”

Dortch, listed at 5-foot-7 and 183 kilos, is commonly tabbed as a “gadget” receiver. But he pushes back on that description, pointing toward his numbers: “I’ve acquired over 1,000 yards receiving in my profession, 10-plus receiving touchdowns,” Dortch said. “That’s not only a gadget participant. The stats speak for themselves. I’m a soccer participant. You can label me gadget, you possibly can label me a slot, an out of doors. I’m a soccer participant, I simply get the job finished.”

Lions coach Dan Campbell is cautious to heap an excessive amount of hype on Dortch this early into coaching camp, “however simply watching his motion abilities and the drill work as a returner, and even a few of the little issues as a receiver, it is even higher than I assumed.”

“There’s issues about him,” Campbell added. “I imply, you watch him maneuver via a few of these drills and it appears fairly good. That’s fairly thrilling. I like Dortch. Man, he is working. He needs to be one of many guys and adapt to what we do and the way we do it. I feel on daily basis he will get just a little bit higher and learns how we … do what we do.”

rsilva@detroitnews.com

@rich_silva18