About a month ago, I had looked into the Lions defense and wrote about three underrated defenders for this season. Switching gears, I want to do the same for the Lions offense.
We all know that the Lions offense is one of the most dynamic and yet, unpredictable offenses in the league. Defensive coordinators have gone on record and said that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is currently the toughest to prepare for during game week.
Despite not drafting any offensive player until the 4th round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Lions seem to be a team that can make anything work with whoever is on the field. Let’s look at three offensive players that could be highly underrated right now.
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RB Sione Vaki
This one shouldn’t be surprising. Whenever talking about players that could contribute right away or potentially in a big way, the first name always brought up is Sione Vaki.
During the Lions rookie mini-camp, he was very impressive in running back drills and showed his special teams ability right away. The expectation is for him to have some contribution as a returner on kick return.
Sione Vaki:
∙ 94.0 PFF Grade on offense in 2023 (RB/WR)
∙ 1 TD allowed in coverage in 2023 (407 coverage snaps)Multi-talented 🛠 pic.twitter.com/KekzRO3jq9
— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) April 27, 2024
Even though he was primarily a safety in college, Vaki showed what he could do with the ball in his hands for the Utah offense. Despite only having 42 carries in college, he had 317 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In addition to that, he recorded 11 receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns.
While the Lions offense will primarily run through Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Vaki sprinkled into the offense. This is where it all leads back to the creativity of Ben Johnson. I can’t help but think of short yardage, red zone and 3rd down packages that feature Vaki on a weekly basis.
IOL Kayode Awosika
We’ve seen the Lions offensive line get banged up in the past. While none of us want to see it, there’s still a chance that injuries occur at some point this season. As we’ve seen Frank Ragnow battle through injuries, there could always be a stretch of games where Graham Glasgow has to move to center.
If that’s the case, the player that could step up is Kayode Awosika. Last season, he played in 252 regular season snaps and he only gave up one sack. According to PFF, he earned a 59.8 overall grade last season. While those aren’t great numbers, he still flashed on tape. Keep in mind, he did play 100% of the snaps in the NFC Championship Game.
The Lions clearly see something with Awosika and his ability. That’s why he was resigned to a contract this off-season. As he continues to work with offensive line coach Hank Fraley, one would assume that his better days of football are ahead of him.
WR Isaiah Williams
This one shouldn’t surprise anyone. I’ve been a fan of Isaiah Williams since I watched his tape after he signed a deal with the Lions after the 2023 NFL Draft.
Very impressed with Illinois WR Isaiah Williams. Surprised he went undrafted but glad he ended up in Detroit. Could see him competing all summer with the chance of landing a spot on the Lions roster.
+ Provides alignment versatility
+ Shows good elusiveness after the catch
+… pic.twitter.com/TGrcqByjRi— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) April 28, 2024
It’s not every day that a UDFA makes the roster but with some uncertainty around the 4th and 5th receiver spot on the Lions roster, I think Williams has a chance. If he earns that chance, it wouldn’t surprise me if he contributed more than people think.
When watching his tape, I think he was comparable to Green Bay Packers WR Jayden Reed. While Williams only ran a 4.63 time in the 40-yard dash, he did post a 6.75 time in the 3-cone drill and he did have a 38 1/2″ vertical. I’m not sold on Donovan Peoples-Jones or Antoine Green quite yet so this summer, I would keep tabs on Williams as much as possible.