Looking at the Detroit Lions’ wide receiver depth chart heading into the 2021 season, you could make a case that they were the worst in the NFL.
No longer.
The emergence of Amon-Ra St. Brown as a high-end possession wideout coupled with the potential of Jameson Williams and veteran savvy of players like Marvin Jones and Josh Reynolds gives the Lions a capable group with some upside. The lone departure of note from last year is WR DJ Chark Jr., who signed with the Carolina Panthers.
With quarterback Jared Goff coming off a redemptive season (4,438 yards, 29 TDs, 7 INTs), the Lions’ passing game is suddenly worth looking at for fantasy football owners.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Despite closing his rookie year strong, there were still plenty of unanswered questions with St. Brown, who caught a ton of balls once the receiving corps was thinned by injuries. Heading into 2023, however, those questions have been answered. St. Brown improved his numbers across the board in Year 2, finishing with 106 receptions (on 146 targets), 1,161 yards, and six touchdowns. He’s already ensconced as Goff’s primary read, being targeted more than twice as often as anyone else in Motown.
If there’s a nit to pick with St. Brown, it’s this: he isn’t much of a deep threat. He had just 11 catches of 20 yards or more in 2022. While that led the team, the percentage was much lower than players like Kalif Raymond (10 of 47 receptions of that length) or Reynolds (eight of 38). St. Brown has yet to develop into a consistent red-zone threat, either.
Jameson Williams
A torn ACL suffered at Alabama delayed Williams’ debut until Week 13, and given he ended up playing just 78 snaps, 2022 was essentially a redshirt year for the then-rookie. Excitement over the 2023 debut for the former first-round pick was quickly dashed when he earned a six-game suspension for gambling, meaning at best he’ll appear in 11 games for the Lions this season. That’s the bad news.
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The good news is Williams is the most talented wideout on the roster, checking in at 6-foot-1, 189 pounds, and with physical skills nobody else can match. While Detroit has done a solid job filling out the receiver room with capable veterans, Williams’ upside means he should assume a starting job as soon as his suspension is up.
Marvin Jones Jr.
Jones played five seasons in Detroit before spending the past two with the Jacksonville Jaguars and getting a front-row seat to QB Trevor Lawrence‘s development. He was solid in 2021, but his numbers fell quite a bit last year as he logged just 529 yards on 46 receptions.
At his apex, Jones was dangerous downfield and showed a nose for the end zone. Now, at 33, he’s primarily a possession receiver — he has averaged below 13.0 yards per catch in each of his last four seasons. Odds are he or Reynolds will relinquish a starting job to Williams once the second-year pro is activated.
Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and Denzel Mims
Given Reynolds’ history with Goff, adding him on waivers in 2021 made a lot of sense. He flashed some big plays for a talent-poor group that year as well, but his first full season with the Lions was a struggle. Injuries cost him three games, and his 38-479-3 line didn’t move the needle. Reynolds did less as the season wore on as well, catching just four balls over the final three weeks.
Raymond offered next to nothing on offense from the time he entered the NFL in 2016 through 2020, catching just 19 passes combined. Over the past two years, though, he has totaled 95 receptions, 1,192 yards, and four touchdowns. He’s undersized at 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, and is suited to the slot, which is St. Brown’s best position as well. Odds are they’ll pick their spots with Raymond, making it difficult to envision a very high ceiling.
Mims was acquired via trade from the New York Jets and will compete for a roster spot. He’s of no immediate consequence for fantasy owners, but in the best-case scenario, Detroit opts to roster him as an occasional deep threat.
Fantasy football outlook
Even though the Lions have a depth chart of names you’re likely to recognize, they only have one that’s a lock to be selected on draft day. Obviously, that’s St. Brown, who is a borderline top-10 option.
If you’re looking to stash someone in the final rounds, that would be Williams, who has the highest long-term ceiling of anyone here, including ASB.
Of the veteran retreads, maybe Jones could offer something early on while Williams serves his suspension, but you wouldn’t want to use a draft pick on him outside the deepest of leagues.
