Nate Burleson says Patrick Edwards will be 'big-time playmaker' for Lions

The Detroit Lions currently have 13 wide receivers on their roster. Most of them are either unproven or seem like nothing more than camp bodies, which is why it feels like the Lions still have a hole at the position. They need another big-time target to go along with Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson and Ryan Broyles, and so far they haven't had any luck in finding someone to fill that void.

Perhaps it will work out best for the Lions if they don't bring in a wide receiver from the outside at this point. I say that because based on what Burleson said on Friday, Patrick Edwards may be the man for the job. Edwards joined the Lions as an undrafted free agent last year, and he spent most of last season on the practice squad injured reserve. Now, with a year of experience under his belt, Edwards is poised to break out, according to Burleson. From the Free Press:

"You guys have probably been paying attention to what’s going on and the competitive nature of our position, but Patrick Edwards is playing hell of a ball right now," Burleson said. "He was my dark horse last year, before he tweaked his hamstring, and he’s not so much a dark horse now. He’s just a guy that needs to prove that he can stay healthy and consistent with his play, and I guarantee he will be a big-time playmaker for us this year."

Burleson actually compared Edwards to Titus Young in terms of their explosiveness and how they catch the ball. Burleson thinks that Edwards has the ability to catch a pass underneath and take it 50 yards, as well as simply run past the defense and catch a deep ball. That's really what the Lions need in order to take some of the attention away from Johnson, so it'd be great if Edwards is in fact able to do that for them.