2023 Detroit Lions Wide Receiver Room: Will Chark Return?

The Detroit Lions ended 2022 with a top-five offense in the NFL. The balanced attack gave opposing defenses headaches, leaving defensive coordinators scratching their heads as they asked themselves, “How on Earth did I just get thumped by Jared Goff and the Lions?”

Fans point to the run game as the engine of the offense but fail to mention Detroit did not have a 100-yard rusher 13 times last season. Jared Goff surpassed 300 yards five times. 

The difference between Jared Goff in 2021 vs. 2022 is simple. He had a competent receiver room in ’22. Just as much as any other faction of Detroit’s offense, the wide receiver corps deserves to be recognized as a reason this team won 8 of their last ten games. 

However, can each receiver’s production from last season be replicated in 2023? Well, like Chris Rock said that one time, “Duh.” 

Amon Ra St. Brown

23 years old, two years experience

• 2023 Cap Hit: $1.1M
• 2024 Cap Hit: $1.2M
• 2025: UFA

Notable 2023 Achievements: 

• 106 receptions (7th)
• 1161 yards (11th)
• 68 first downs (5th)
• 531 YAC (3rd amongst WRs)
• 72.2 catch percentage
• Pro Bowler

Amon Ra St. Brown is inevitable. When healthy, he’s bound to real in at least six receptions, and there’s nothing you can do about it as an opposing defense. The former USC Trojan doesn’t have the breakaway speed that leaves defenders in the dust, but still manages to find himself wide open on short/intermediate routes, both inside and outside the numbers. He’s a student of the game, binge-watches film on his opponents, and has better footwork/route running abilities than any receiver in the NFL at his size.

Ben Johnson utilizes St. Brown as a weapon, lining him up as a running back, handing the ball off to him, sending him in motion, etc. Any time the Lions get this guy the ball, good things happen.

St. Brown doesn’t have the physical attributes to be an A-List wide receiver in the NFL. Guys like Jefferson, Diggs, and Chase bring more to the table in terms of their speed, physical dominance, and ability to stretch the field. It’s what makes them special. But the reason St. Brown is still a superstar in Detroit is simple; on 3rd and four, you know it’s going to him. The defense is ready for it, and they still cannot stop it. The sun god isn’t capable of replicating what other receivers can do. Yet, he still produces at the highest level, catches everything thrown his way, and takes his game to another level in the biggest moments. Undeniably one of the 12 best receivers in the NFL.

Jameson Williams

21 years old, six games played (limited)

• 2023 Cap Hit: $3.9M
• 2024 Cap Hit: $4.7M
• 2025 Cap Hit: $5.5M
• 2026: Team Option

Notable 2023 Achievements: 

• First career catch was a 41-yard TD
• Hit 20.33 MPH

Let’s make one thing clear; we did not see Jameson Williams last season; we saw flashes of him. Coming back from an ACL tear is one of the hardest things an athlete can do. You have to completely re-learn how to run, cut, and accelerate. Next year will be the first time we get the real Jamo, the one that was undoubtedly the best player in the nation at Alabama and, without hesitation, a Top-5 pick in the NFL draft prior to injuring himself in the National Championship.

Everyone remembers his first career reception in Ford Field Week 14. But the scariest moment for the rest of the NFL came in Week 16 against Chicago, when the Missouri native ripped off a 40-yard run, showing off his freaky speed that only a handful of guys in the league have.

Let’s define freaky speed, shall we?

Freak Speed: a type of speed reached on the football field in which the runner comfortably knows, for a fact, no one is catching them; having mostly to do with the ability to get away and create effortless separation from defenders. Freak speed has little to do with 40-yard dash times, because straight-line speed and football speed are completely different. One must be able to use their speed AND acceleration as a weapon (think Henry Ruggs vs. Tyreek Hill).

Synonyms: Fifth gear, flash speed, wtf speed.

Expect to see a lot more freak from Williams this season. Outside of the Miami duo of Hill and Waddle, I’m not sure anyone in the league is faster. Jamo’s abilities require tremendous attention from defenses. Forget where he is for a split second, and suddenly Detroit’s PAT unit is jogging onto the field.

DJ Chark

26 years old, five years experience

• 2023 Dead Cap Hit: $5.9M (Signing Bonus)
• 2023 UFA

Notable 2023 Achievements

• 45.6 yards per game
• 51-yard reception vs. Carolina Week 16
• Ben Bosscher Most Valuable Blocking WR Award (Lions) recipient

Through most of 2022, it seemed like the Lions would be able to get Chark back for cheap. This was a prove-it year for Chark, having to prove he could stay on the field, which he did to some extent.

Chark played in 11 games, averaging 2.7 catches and 45 yards per contest. If you purely look at his production, the former Jaguar was relatively inconsistent in the Honolulu blue. Chark would have a dominant performance of four timely 50/50 receptions and 90 yards, then follow it up the following week with zero targets.

However, DJ Chark did a lot for the Lions that doesn’t quite show up on the box score. Jamaal Williams and D’andre Swift don’t break off 40-plus yard runs without great down-the-field blocking. DJ Chark didn’t only show commitment to blocking but turned it into a strength of his game. If you’re not going to consistently produce, this is the kind of stuff that keeps players on the field. Chark also stretched the field, often requiring a safety to play overtop his 6-foot-4-inch frame. His verticality down the sidelines keeps defenses honest, opening up the middle of the field for guys like Amon Ra St. Brown.

The bad news for Detroit, Chark’s best eight games of the season was the final eight. Had his injuries come at the end of the year rather than the beginning, organizations might still have a sour taste in their mouths, eventually leading him to return to Detroit on a cheap deal. Then again, maybe the Lions don’t finish the season 8-2 if he’s not on the field.

Chark has been open about enjoying his time in Detroit and being a part of the culture the Lions are building. However, you can never blame a player for taking the bigger check elsewhere. Spotrac projects Chark to earn a 3-year $28M dollar deal this Summer. Far too expensive for a WR3 who has only played 15 or more games once in his career. Never say never, but it appears DJ Chark’s Detroit career will go down in history like a five-star NBA prospect at Kentucky; one-and-done.

Kalif Raymond

28 years old, six years experience

• 2023 Cap Hit: $3M
• 2024: UFA

Notable 2023 Achievements

• Pro Bowl Punt Returner
• Second Team All-Pro Punt Returner
• Ben Bosscher Most Underrated Player Award (Lions) recipient
• Most consistent player in Detroit
• 17 games played
• 13.1 yards per reception
• 616 total yards (2nd on the team)
• 73.4 catch percentage

I’ll keep this simple. Kalif Raymond is like heated seats in a car. Like Raymond and the Lions, there are obviously more important parts of the car to keep functioning. If anything, the heated seats are like a luxury, the same way having an All-Pro return guy as our WR3/4 is a bonus. The car will get you where you need to be without heated seats, but it’s a pretty good feeling to have them. It makes the ride a lot more comfortable. When the weather gets cold, you know at least you can rely on your seat warmers for what it’s worth, the same way you can rely on Raymond when the offense has had a shaky half. But when you have heated seats for long enough, you start to take them for granted. You don’t recognize or thank them enough for the simple yet important service they provide. It’s not until you hop into a car without heated seats that you realize how much you miss the feeling of a warm butt. That’s Kalif Raymond. It’ll take Raymond being absent in 2024 for Lions fans to give him the credit he deserves as a football player. We’ve got him for one more season. Let’s appreciate having someone we never have to worry about. Be grateful for both Kalif Raymond and the butt-warming feature of cars because they simply make our lives better. 

Josh Reynolds

28 years old, six years experience

• 2023 Cap Hit: $3.9M
• *Potential Out in 2023
• 2024: UFA

Notable 2023 Achievements

• Stepped up big time when Chark and St. Brown were injured.

Dear Josh Reynolds,

Thank you for everything you’ve done in Detroit over the last two seasons. I admire the fact you had your best games when we needed you most. Thanks for being reliable for a single 12-yard reception every game you participated in. We’re excited to bring you back as a WR3/4 this season, but due to your age and limited abilities, this will be your last season in Motown. With that said, go ball out in 2023. End on a high note, catch a few touchdowns and have fun. We’ll send you your Super Bowl 58 right when it’s ready.

Best Wishes. 

Free Agent Options

• Allen Lazard
• Jakobi Meyers
• N’Keal Harry
• Parris Campbell
• Noah Brown

Don’t let anyone convince you we need to overpay for the following guys (due to age/paying for past performance):

• Robert Woods
• Julio Jones
• Marvin Jones Jr.
• Sterling Shepard
• JuJu Smith-Schuster