The Detroit Lions are in line to have a very good offense again this season, but there are some questions.
Will tight end Sam LaPorta step right in as a rookie and be a big factor? What will Jameson Williams look like when he's able to take the field after his suspension? Can Jared Goff repeat his performance from last season?
For as much as the free agent departure of DJ Chark was easy to see coming, he was an important piece of the Lions' offense as a downfield threat late last season. A now-33 year old Marvin Jones was signed to replace him, but can he replicate what Chark did while Williams is out? Josh Reynolds has had some moments as a Lion, but anything notable he does has to be considered a bonus. No wonder some people see a path for rookie seventh-rounder Antoine Green to make an impact right away, particularly while Williams serves his suspension.
Detroit Lions offensive "x-factor" could also be a legit Achilles heel
In naming one offensive "x-factor" heading into the 2023 season for each NFL team, Jared Dubin of CBS Sports named the wide receiver room outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown.
"The Lions have one of the NFL's best offensive lines. They have a very good play-caller in Ben Johnson, who was a highly sought-after head-coaching candidate this offseason but decided to return to Detroit. They have a premier slot receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. They have two quality backs who bring different things to the table in David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. But where is the perimeter threat on this offense? With Jameson Williams suspended for the first six games of the season, the starting outside wide receivers might be Marvin Jones and Josh Reynolds, which isn't much of an improvement of what the team had last year.....Unless they bring him in and/or Williams is a stud right away, the Lions are going to have to get creative in scheming around this issue. "Jared Dubin, CBS Sports
Dubin also mentioned how the Lions sem like the "most fun" destination for DeAndre Hopkins, but that ship has presumably long-since sailed. The options to add someone are not great right now, obviously, and anyone who was added would be battling for a roster spot in training camp and the preseason. So, not really expected to make a big impact.
Ben Johnson was able to effectively scheme around a several-week absence for Chark last year, and the Lions' offense was fine. But having Jones, Reynolds or even Green step up as a productive outside receiver would be nice, at least early in the season, and it's a question mark that could hold down the ceiling for this offense.