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The offseason never stops, and there isn’t any point in the year where that seems more true than during the pro day circuit. No team is going to attend every pro day, but teams with a strong scouting corps will find their way to every one that they can. The Detroit Lions have historically attended every local Michigan team’s pro day and that is no different in 2018, as they were present at Grand Valley State University and met with one of their more prominent players, wide receiver Brandon Bean.
A three-star recruit coming out of Southfield HS, Bean comes from a football family. His father, Vincent, was his coach and played for the University of Michigan. Brandon caught 42 passes for 462 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior for Southfield before joining the Lakers in 2013. He took a redshirt that season, but spent time as a member of the track and field team. The following season he would be GVSU Rookie of the Year after catching six passes for 89 yards and two touchdowns and returning 11 kicks. He would suffer an injury in 2015, but still played in nine fairly productive games. His production slipped slightly the following season though he continued to work on special teams.
Bean would break out in his senior season, tearing off 68 receptions for 886 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those reception and touchdown marks would lead his conference (GLIAC), while his yardage total ranked third. According to Tony Pauline, who reported the Lions meeting with Bean, he ran in the low 4.6s while posting good agility and explosion drills. Pauline notes that, unsurprisingly given the Lions interest, teams are enamored with his special teams potential.
The Lions bring back all of their top four receivers (presuming TJ Jones signs his RFA tender), so there isn’t really much wiggle room for a drafted receiver. The Lions interest in Bean is likely as a free agent after the draft, where he would join some or all of Jace Billingsley, Dontez Ford, Andy Jones, and Bradley Marquez in the battle for fifth wide receiver. Most likely, he’d be working to showcase his talents for a practice squad spot for 2018, when the position opens up a bit more.