Wide receiver Ryan Broyles’ health issues have kept him from reaching his full potential since he was drafted in the second round in 2012.

Still he’s young at age 26.

More importantly, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew has faith in the wide receiver.

“I believe in Ryan, and he’s one of the hardest-working guys I’ve ever seen in terms of rehab, practice. He’s just outstanding,’’ Mayhew said. 

“I’ll tell you a quick story. I think it was last year. The guys have a rehab schedule and he had a thing on his schedule that he was going to be out for a week or so. Unlike anybody ever before that, he called me and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be in Haiti on a mission trip. Is it OK for me to go and do this or should I stay here and rehab?’ So, that’s Ryan Broyles in a nutshell,’’ Mayhew said.

“So, I believe in him. I’m not going to build a whole offense around him, obviously, but I believe in that man.”

Broyles is coming off surgery on Oct. 29 to repair a torn Achilles’. He participated in the final two days of the voluntary minicamp two weeks ago.

In his senior year at Oklahoma, he tore his ACL. Then in his rookie season he tore the ACL on his other knee.

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