In April, the Detroit Lions expanded their wide receiver corps by drafting Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett. TeSlaa, whom the Lions traded up to get in a surprise move in Round 3 of the draft, appears to be the playmaker who will see the most action among the two rookies. However, you never know what might happen during minicamp and offseason training.
Outside of Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown, Lions quarterback Jared Goff does not have many downfield receiving targets to work with. The squad possesses Sam LaPorta, a hunkering tight end who played well for the team last season, but Goff’s distribution of the football is quite restricted outside of them.
So, what could the Lions do to potentially improve their attack again in 2025 to the heights attained by their top offense in 2024? One option they still have is to re-sign a familiar face on the roster, current free agent wide receiver D.J. Chark.
Lions’ reunion with Chark may make a lot of sense.
Chark, who played for the Lions in 2022, had a productive receiving season, totaling 502 yards on 52 targets. He also scored three touchdowns. He has struggled to stay on the field in 2024, appearing in only seven games for the Los Angeles Chargers and totaling 31 receiving yards on 10 targets.
He would, of course, be called back to relieve Williams and St. Brown downfield if the team does not find TeSlaa or Lovett up to speed on the offense by the start of the 2025 season. He’s a veteran who, in theory, could rapidly learn the team’s playbook and provide a fresh perspective to Goff, who will be looking to restore Detroit to glory following a poor 2024 season.
Chark would not be the main focus of this Lions offense; not in the least.
The team is expected to continue to punish its opponents with a strong run game led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, as well as the rare deep pass to Williams or St. Brown down the sideline.
However, adding some seasoned depth to the room could help steer rookies like TeSlaa and Lovett in the correct developmental direction.
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