Getty DJ Chark playing a Lions preseason game in 2022.
The Detroit Lions are hoping for multiple bounce-backs across their roster, but one player could be primed to show out most of all.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Lions signed DJ Chark to lock down the wide receiver spot, and he has burst on the scene in a big way. All of this has led the pass catcher to gain some major hype before 2022.
Chark has already been singled out as one of the top bounce-back options in the league for 2022. This is according to ESPN. Recently, the site put together a list of every team’s bounce-back candidate.
Analyst Eric Woodyard explained why Chark could be primed for a huge season. As he said, his consistency on the field has been solid already.
“Chark, now healthy and still only 25 years old, has turned heads in training camp with a string of impressive plays off his connection with quarterback Jared Goff. This season could make or break both of their careers. Detroit has Chark listed as the No. 1 receiver on its unofficial depth chart, largely due to his deep-threat ability,” Woodyard wrote in the piece.
Chark figures to be in the mix to make a big impact from day one, and while he didn’t see a look on the opening series of the preseason, the Lions should be able to count on him making a big impact in a regular season game.
Chark Making Major Plays During Lions Camp
Indeed it’s true that Chark has turned heads for the Lions in camp. The plays started early on and carried throughout the preseason period.
The wideout has made the most of his opportunity to impress the Lions and turns in big plays on the regular. Once again, Chark made one of the more impressive plays of the camp period stretching out for a catch on Saturday, August 6.
DJ Chark going all out 💯
(via @Lions) @DJChark82
It wasn’t just that play, though. Chark has made big moves during camp to impress the Lions including a diving catch on August 5 as well:
New #Lions WR DJ Chark made a ridiculous diving catch for a touchdown 🔥🔥
All of these big plays have the hype about the connection building around the league. As Benjamin Albright tweeted, the Detroit staff loves what they see from Chark so far:
Talked to someone on the Lions staff this week and they couldn’t stop raving about DJ Chark.
“Talked to someone on the Lions staff this week and they couldn’t stop raving about DJ Chark,” Albright tweeted.
It’s easy to see why folks believe that Chark could be in-line to make some huge waves in 2022 with the Lions when watching the tape.
How Chark Will Fit Lions’ Offense
Detroit badly needed a big-bodied pass catcher that is a bonafide deep threat and Chark is just that for the offense. His arrival has injected some new life into Detroit’s passing game.
Chark has proven before that he is a player capable of going up and getting the ball vertically, which is what the Lions have missed. Chark could help open up Detroit’s offense in that he will give Goff a vertical threat to throw the ball to deep down the field. In 2019, Chark was a Pro Bowler, but if he has struggled with anything, it’s been health. Last year, he was lost with an ankle injury which cost him the end of his 2021 season.
Chark gets a chance to prove that he can be an elite pass catcher, and already, he looks to be doing it. If he is able to do that, there’s a great chance the Lions keep him around and reward him as they have done with wideout Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond. With both Chark and Reynolds, the team has a pair of vertical options that will help them deliver upon some more big plays for the future.
If Chark can put up the stats, it’s possible the Lions’ offense will benefit while the player also looks like one of the better comeback stories in the league. That’s the major hope for Detroit, anyway.
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