Former state record hurdler, Lions WR Fountain trying to high-point his way to roster spot

Allen Park — It’s not reasonable to suggest Daurice Fountain has come out of nowhere this offseason. The reality is the 6-foot-2, 210-pound receiver has been building his roster case in Detroit for nearly a year outside the public eye.

Remember, after training camp, the media no longer gets to watch a meaningful portion of practice. So when Fountain joined the Lions practice squad days before the 2023 season, we weren’t able to see him do anything more than stretching and running a couple position drills.

Given he’d appeared in eight games and caught just two passes since entering the league six years earlier as a fifth-round draft pick out of Northern Iowa, there wasn’t much reason to dig deeper.

But it says something when you stick on the taxi squad an entire season. It means the team sees value in what you’re bringing to practice, and the potential to contribute down the road.

So here we are, a year later, and Fountain is seeing a fair share of reps with the first-team offense. He’s being given an opportunity, one that was earned, to show he deserves a spot.

“By the end of the year, he was one of those (practice squad players) where you were like, ‘Man, this guy improved.,’” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “You could see it in practice, you could feel it, and man, he works. Gosh, he’s a worker. He’s got ability and he works. And so, he’s one of those guys that, yeah, he’s caught our eye. He’s caught my eye.”

Fountain responded with a strong start to camp. On the first day, he made a play that should still make the cut for the highlight reel by the end of camp, creating late separation and fully extending to make a leaping grab over the cornerback in coverage. The next day, he blew by first-round rookie Terrion Arnold for a deep catch. The day after that, it was a critical special teams play, downing a punt inside the 10-yard line as a gunner.

Fountain understands those eye-catching plays will garner him some attention, but consistency is what it will take to win a job.

“I've got to be consistent,” he said. “That's the main thing. We talked about it during the first day meetings. Coach Campbell was talking about not wanting to see the guys who only make the splash plays. He wants to see the guys who can be consistent this whole camp. That's the main thing I've been focusing on.”

That had to make Monday’s practice — the first where the team was in pads — so frustrating. Instead of sustaining and building on his momentum, he put two catchable balls on the ground. He’ll need to quickly reset starting Tuesday as the team pushes forward, toward a pair of joint practices and the preseason opener against the New York Giants next week.

Beyond the playmaking, what stands out about Fountain is his skill set. He has a bigger frame than most of the options on Detroit’s roster, and his ability to high-point the ball is unmatched. That’s thanks to leaping ability he calls “God given.”

In high school, he set the Wisconsin state record in the 110-meter hurdles; a mark that stood for a decade until it was broken this spring. And coming out of college, he posted a 42.5-inch vertical jump, which is an elite result for any position.

His ability to go up over a defender is one of things the Lions love most.

“They obviously want a jump-ball guy, especially one who can stretch the field and attack the ball, man,” Fountain said. “That's what they want out of me. I know I bring a physical presence with my style of play I have, and they just want me to display that every chance I get. They just told me to be me. They've been really good about bringing me along in the system, but at the end of the day, they just want me to go out there and dominate.”

He’ll also need to find ways to contribute on special teams. Wide receivers near the back of the depth chart rarely make a roster without that ability. The good news is Fountain has plenty of experience in those roles, and the Lions are just trying to figure out what he does best. That’s included some recent trials in the all-important gunner role on punt coverage.

What also doesn’t hurt is the support of his teammates. He was embraced early by Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds, who departed this offseason for a better contract offer in Denver. And when Fountain hauled in that bomb working against Arnold last week, the team’s other pass-catchers celebrated enthusiastically, none more than Jameson Williams.

“I feel that's what really special about this receiver room,” Fountain said. “We all really care for each other and we want each other to succeed. At the end of the day, we're here to pick each other up. And by us getting better, it elevates everybody's game.”

The Lions know what they have at the top of their receiver depth chart. St. Brown is an All-Pro, steady as they come. And while Raymond doesn’t close to matching the volume, he’s similarly consistent. Williams, meanwhile, is the explosive playmaker seemingly prepared to come into his own.

But the rest of the depth chart is up for grabs. Fountain is in the mix for a roster spot along with veterans like Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tre’Quan Smith, and younger options such as last year’s seventh-round draft pick, Antoine Green, and undrafted rookies Jalon Calhoun and Isaiah Williams.

“He is making plays,” Campbell said about Fountain. “And the other thing is, he’s doing some things on special teams that is catching our eye, too. So that’s a good sign. Man, to have a big receiver that runs pretty good for that size, and he plays physical, he kind of brings a different game in that room, and could potentially help us on special teams? That’s a good sign. He’s in a good spot.”