Last season was a rough one for the Detroit Lions at wide receiver, at least to begin the year. Late-season addition Josh Reynolds and a fantastic finish by rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown helped salvage some dignity, but the Lions’ WR corps was consistently–and accurately–rated near the bottom of the NFL.
That’s changed in 2022. Reynolds is back, St. Brown is more established. And that duo is joined by speedy free agent DJ Chark and first-round rookie Jameson Williams, with his sky-high talent ceiling once he returns from knee surgery. Last year’s Week 1 starter, Quintez Cephus, sits no higher than fifth on the depth chart.
The folks over at For The Win ranked the wide receiving corps of all 32 NFL teams. The revamped Lions came in 18th overall.
It might seem a little lower than expected given the talent infusion, but the explanation hints at why 18th is right for now and why the Lions could exceed that middling rank,
Detroit has an eclectic mix of players all capable of outperforming expectations. The questions that remain are: a) whether Jared Goff can get them the ball b) whether St. Brown can keep up his torrid pace from the end of ’21, and c) how Williams will look after last winter’s torn ACL.
Detroit’s NFC North rival, the Chicago Bears, came in last. Tampa Bay edged out Cincinnati for the top ranking.
Pro Football Focus also ranked the receiving crops (including TEs as well) earlier this offseason and placed the Lions at No. 21 overall. Again, the commentary reflects optimism that the Lions can be a lot better than that spot.
This receiving corps is on the rise. The Lions have two solid pieces returning from last season in T.J. Hockenson and Amon-Ra St. Brown and also added a few more options in the draft and free agency, specifically players who could stretch the field.
D.J. Chark Jr. brings a unique combination of size (6-foot-4) and speed (4.34-second 40-yard dash), and Jameson Williams’ impact can be seen in his production against a seemingly infallible Georgia defense last year. That infusion of speed was necessary for a Lions offense that ranked dead last in average depth of target in 2021 (6.8 yards).
The potential cited by both For The Win and PFF shows considerable progress. If the Lions achieve what they’re capable of in 2022, this unit could very well be in the top 10 in next summer’s surveys.
