When it comes to the 2023 Detroit Lions, their roster certainly looks stronger than it did a year ago, but that does not mean they don’t have holes. Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders recently released an article in which he reveals each NFL team’s biggest roster hole. When it comes to the Lions, Schatz believes the team’s biggest hole comes at the wide receiver position.
Key Points
- The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books
- The 2023 Detroit Lions’ roster has improved over the past two seasons but they certainly have holes
- According to Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders, the Lions’ biggest hole comes at the wide receiver position
2023 Detroit Lions’ biggest remaining roster hole
Here is what Schatz has to say about the 2023 Detroit Lions still needing help at the wide receiver position.
This is a bigger problem than it should have been because of Jameson Williams’ six-game gambling suspension. Before that, the Lions were planning to start Williams along with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Josh Reynolds.
Now, the Lions will need to put Marvin Jones Jr. in the starting lineup for the first part of the season. It’s hard to know how much he has left at age 33; he put up a minus-8.6% DVOA for the Jaguars last year. At least Kalif Raymond has done a good job of transitioning from return specialist to more of a depth receiver with more than 500 yards in each of the past two seasons. Behind Jones and Raymond are players who haven’t done much in the NFL, including Tom Kennedy and Trinity Benson.
Bottom Line: The Lions could use another wide receiver
Even before Jameson Williams was suspended for six games, the Lions could have used another solid wide receiver. Yes, they went out and added Marvin Jones Jr. to help make up for the loss of DJ Chark, but it does not seem likely that he is going to make a huge impact at the age of 33. Don’t be surprised if the Lions sign another veteran free agent before the start of the season.
