There is a different feeling surrounding the team from the Motor City. And thanks in part to some newcomers, the Detroit Lions bear watching in 2022. It’s a franchise that hasn’t won a league championship since 1957, hasn’t captured a division title since 1993, and has not won a postseason game since 1991.
But don’t tell that to head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions. His exuberance has really caught on in the Motor City. And there seems to be a different feeling surrounding a team that has finished dead last in the NFC North for four consecutive years.
Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes seem to have this team headed in the right direction. The Lions didn’t make a ton of moves this offseason but they added some quality pieces to a team that finished a deceptive 3-13-1 a year ago. So which newcomers are making the biggest impression as the club host the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday?
Detroit Lions top offseason pickup no. 3: S DeShon Elliott (Baltimore Ravens)
A sixth-round draft choice of the Baltimore Ravens in 2018, the former University of Texas product has had problems staying on the field. He missed his entire rookie season with a broken arm and was limited to only six games in both 2019 and ‘21 due to injury.
But when safety DeShon Elliott was able to stay on the field, he made his presence felt. In 2020, he was a 16-game starter for John Harbaugh’s club. He finished fourth on the club with 80 defensive stops, to go along with 2.5 sacks, a pair of forced fumbles, and four passes defensed. A physical performer who should be a perfect fit in coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense.
Detroit Lions top offseason pickup no. 2: WR D.J. Chark (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Every year seems to be a rebuilding season for the Jacksonville Jaguars as of late. So was it really a surprise to see a former Pro Bowl player change addresses and join a team that despite its win-loss record in 2021 caught some people’s attention?
It only seemed like the New Orleans Saints scooped up every former NFL free agent that went to school at LSU. But four-year wide receiver D.J. Chark wound up signing a one-year contract, $10 million deal with the Detroit Lions. The 2018 second-round pick of the Jaguars looks to revitalize his career and is coming off a season in which he played in only four games while catch just seven passes.
But during his second season in the league, Chark blossomed after a shaky rookie campaign. In his debut year, he played in 11 games and caught only 14 passes for 174 yards and zero touchdowns. In ’19, he totaled 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight scores in 15 outings while earning a Pro Bowl invitation. Those numbers slipped to 53 grabs for 706 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games a year later.
Chark joins a promising receiving corps that includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, who caught 90 passes for 912 yards and five scores. There’s Kalif Raymond and Josh Reynolds and eventually Jameson Williams. The latter is currently on the non-football injury list. General manager Brad Holmes is providing quarterback Jared Goff with plenty of weapons.
Detroit Lions top offseason pickup: DE Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan)
As Peter King of Football Night in America pointed out after the fact, Lions’ general manager Brad Holmes didn’t really waste a lot of time on the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft when it came to making his decision.
The team was in the market for pass rush help and University of Michigan standout Aidan Hutchinson was there to be taken. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had this to say about the 2021 Heisman Trophy runner-up.
"“Defensive end prospect with a can’t-miss combination of football character, skill and physical traits who is more likely to contend for occasional Pro Bowls than become an All-Pro playmaker. Hutchinson’s strength and flexion allows him to drop a deep anchor and set a very firm edge, and that is unlikely to change as a pro whether he’s used in 4-3 or 3-4 fronts… He needs to add a few more items to his rush menu in order to maintain his rush production against NFL tackles. Hutchinson is scheme versatile and should be a very good starter with a very high floor, but his ceiling might not be as elevated as some of the talent he’s been compared to.”"
Only the Atlanta Falcons (18) and Philadelphia Eagles (29) totaled fewer sacks than the Lions (30). Meanwhile, Hutchinson totaled 14 sacks in his final season with the Wolverines.