Over the next several days, leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft, we’re taking a position-by-position look at the Detroit Lions’ roster and evaluating how the team might address each unit. Today: Wide receivers.
► Current roster: Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Quintez Cephus, Kalif Raymond, Tom Kennedy, Trinity Benson, Javon McKinley
► Short-term need: Four out of 10
► Long-term need: Nine out of 10
► Top prospects: Drake London, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, Jameson Williams
► Day 2 options: Christian Watson, George Pickens, Skyy Moore, Jalen Tolbert
► Late-round considerations: Alec Pierce, Calvin Austin III, Tyquan Thornton
► Analysis: The Lions were open about their desire to add a big-bodied “X” receiver this offseason and were able to check that item off the shopping list by signing Chark. The former second-round pick has battled through some durability issues during his career, but when healthy, he’s proven capable of filling the role. In 2019, he earned Pro Bowl honors in Jacksonville after catching 73 passes for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns.
Detroit will pair him with St. Brown, who set the franchise’s rookie records for receptions and receiving yards last season, and Reynolds, a midseason waiver claim who capitalized on his preexisting chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff to catch 19 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns in seven games with the team.
The Lions also bring back key depth in Cephus, who looked to be on the cusp of a breakout campaign before he was sidelined with a broken collarbone, and the shifty Raymond, who is coming off a year where he hauled in a career-high 48 balls.
No one is going to confuse that collective for one of the league’s better corps, but it can be a competitive group if blessed with good health.
Still, even with bolstered frontline talent and depth, the Lions cannot afford to not add a receiver in this draft, preferably early given Chark is only under contract for one season, while Reynolds’ and Raymond’s two-year extensions are structured in a way that the Lions can get out next offseason with minimal cap consequences.
More: Justin Rogers’ 2022 NFL mock draft 2.0, post-free agency edition
There isn’t an obvious superstar in this crop of prospects, but the depth at the top the draft is excellent. The question is which of those top options, if any, will still be available when Detroit is scheduled to be on the clock twice within three picks, starting with the final selection of the first round. The Packers and Chiefs adding second first-rounders at the back half of the round in recent weeks potentially complicates the conversation.
Following the ever-evolving projections, the most likely players to be off the board when Detroit is on the clock for their second and third picks are London, Wilson, Williams and Olave. Burks would have been easily listed among that group earlier in the offseason, but relatively subpar athletic testing and his lack of college production outside the slot could cause him to drop.
Speaking of athletic testing, Watson’s Calvin Johnson-esque showing at the combine has thrust him into the first-round conversation. The North Dakota State standout’s production was somewhat muted due to the Bison’s scheme, but he has undeniable size and physical gifts while crushing the pre-draft process, starting with the Senior Bowl before running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the combine.
The fact that Watson is such a willing and capable blocker is also certain to appeal to the Lions. The same can be said for Pickens, who plays with similarly rare physicality on the perimeter. More than a year removed from tearing his ACL, he looks good to go after returning for the College Football Playoff and showing better-than-expected speed and athleticism at the combine.
Another player who captured everyone’s attention at the combine is Austin. He’s easy to write off with a 5-foot-7, 170-pound frame, but he posted elite metrics in every drill, including a blazing 4.32-second 40. He’s a proven playmaker with the ball in his hands, and a creative offensive coordinator can find a number of different ways to get it to him out of the slot, including end-arounds and reverses. He’s so dynamic that even when he doesn’t net a touch, he brings value as a decoy since defenses will have to account for his game-breaking speed on shifts and motions.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers