Getty Tyrell Williams runs with the ball with the Raiders.
The Detroit Lions have worked hard this offseason to fix a very needy spot on their offense, but some would say they haven’t worked quite hard enough to get the job done.
This offseason, the Lions experienced a mass exodus at the wide receiver spot, and that left their group a bit thin in the offseason. Detroit signed a few bargain bin free agents and grabbed Amon-Ra St. Brown in the draft, but they didn’t make a huge splash at the spot which could be expected to hurt them in 2021.
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With that in mind, many think the team could be in a spot of trouble, and that is true as it relates to Pro Football Focus and their analysis of the situation. Recently, PFF and writer Ben Linsey took a look at breaking down every roster in the league and rating it. The Lions, unsurprisingly, placed 31st in the league, and their biggest weakness was seen to be the wideout spot.
As for why, Linsey wrote:
“While the offensive line is in good shape for new starting quarterback Jared Goff, his pass-catching options leave a lot to be desired. Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman are the top two wide receivers on Detroit’s depth chart. Both entered the league in 2015, but they’ve combined for just one season with at least 750 receiving yards (Williams in 2016) in the six years since. Anthony Lynn’s offense could employ a run-heavy approach to work around that group this season.”
Detroit will be depending on names such as Quintez Cephus, St. Brown, Kalif Raymond and Damion Ratley stepping up in order to have a solid year on offense. Given the relative unproven nature of those players, it’s not a surprise that many see the team as potentially in trouble on that side of the ball in 2021.
Some fixes do exist on the market in the form of veteran receivers like Golden Tate, but for the most part, the Lions could be expected to roll into the season with this group.
Lions Working on Fixing Wideout Depth
The Lions came into the offseason in an unsure position in terms of their wide receiver depth, but during free agency, have taken some steps to make some decent upgrades to the position. Detroit signed wideouts Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman to short-term deals in free agency, and with the addition of Damion Ratley and Kalif Raymond, could be in good position to ensure that they have depth ahead of the NFL Draft, where the team is expected to be active hunting for wideout talent for the future.
Detroit’s 2021 draft was not very active in terms of wideout, but the team did add Amon-Ra St. Brown to the team as well as a few priority wideouts like Sage Surratt and Jonathan Adams. They also have players still on the roster like Cephus and Tom Kennedy looking to make a jump. Though Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones and Danny Amendola were major talents, it seems the tam has already taken an aggressive approach in looking for their replacements and adding a few younger options to the mix.
Top Lions Wideouts to Watch
The Lions have plenty of new players in the mix, so who will be the most interesting players to watch compete at the spot? That’s an easy question considering who was added and where. The Lions have a special looking rookie in St. Brown, and also have a veteran looking for redemption in the place his father used to play in Perriman. Additionally, the team has a second-year wideout who could break out in Cephus, and he is already looking like a good bet to do just that given his offseason work.
The entire group offers some major intrigue, and everyone at wideout understands they have to step up. Regardless of whether that happens or not, some folks still see the position as the biggest weakness the team is currently carrying around.
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