One of the free agents the Detroit Lions targeted in the last offseason was wide receiver DJ Chark. The speedy wideout was brought in from the Jacksonville Jaguars to give the Lions a legit deep threat with some size on the outside.
Chark delivered upon that vision and potential. Despite playing through some injuries, including an aggravation of the ankle that cost him most of his final season in Jacksonville, Chark notched one of the highest big-play rates of any wide receiver in 2022.
Chark produced a big play, defined as a catch of 20 yards or more and a run of 10 yards or more, on nine of his 52 touches. That big-play rate of 17.3 percent ranked sixth among receivers with at least 40 touches. All of Chark’s came from receptions; he did not have a single rushing attempt in 2022.
Here’s the full chart from Marcus Mosher of PFF and Raiders Wire:
The full chart shows the mix of receivers the Lions have in Ben Johnson’s offense. Chark and Kalif Raymond (tied for 19th at 15.5 percent) are the big-play weapons. Josh Reynolds (top of column two) served in more of an intermediate capacity. Amon-Ra St. Brown, the team’s workhorse with 155 touches (5th-most in the league) was Detroit’s chain-mover with a big-play rate of just 8.4 percent.
Chark is an unrestricted free agent, and the Lions drafted Jameson Williams in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft to provide even more speed. It makes for an interesting decision on Chark’s future in Detroit.
