The Detroit Lions landed two potential playmakers in their eight-man draft class last week, but general manager Brad Holmes is not done remaking his roster coming off a 3-13-1 season.
“It’s never really complete,” Holmes said after the draft. “The season doesn’t start until September. But I will say, on both sides of the ball, especially from a depth standpoint, there’s still areas where we can still add and we’ll definitely look to do that for sure.”
The Lions host rookie minicamp Friday-Sunday and start organized team activities later this month.
Roster spots won’t come up for grabs until pads come on this summer, but here are five Lions storylines to watch as offseason workouts ramp up.
Well heeled
Two key members of the Lions defense, edge rusher Romeo Okwara and cornerback Jeff Okudah, are returning from Achilles tendon injuries suffered early last season. Okudah has provided regular video updates of his progress on social media, while Okwara has stayed relatively under-the-radar with his rehab.
Both are expected back at some point this summer, and barring any setbacks, both should play key roles for the Lions this fall. The Lions have enough depth at both the edge rush and cornerback positions that they can bring Okwara and Okudah along slowly and in backup roles.
For Okudah, 2022 looms as a make-or-break third season, as the Lions will have to decide whether or not to pick up the fifth-year option on his rookie contract after the season.
Options aplenty
The Lions had one of the worst receiving rooms in the NFL last season. Now, the group might be dangerous. The Lions signed DJ Chark to be their No. 1 receiver, re-signed free agents Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond, return Quintez Cephus from injury and traded up to draft Jameson Williams.
With Amon-Ra St. Brown returning after a standout rookie year and tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back D’Andre Swift also in the fold, the Lions are flush with options in their passing game. I suspect they will take things slow with Williams. There’s no need to rush him coming off a torn ACL. He could sit the first few weeks of the regular season, then play a significant role the second half of the year.
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Until Williams is ready, the Lions will be looking for a third receiver to complement St. Brown and Chark, and one of Reynolds or Cephus seems like the best bet. Reynolds proved to have good chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff after his midseason arrival last year, while Cephus was starting to blossom when he broke his collar bone. This is shaping up to be a good competition that should last into training camp.
On ‘tract
The Lions knocked out a key extension days after the draft last year, when they signed center Frank Ragnow to a four-year, $54 million deal. There does not appear to be any such contract on the immediate horizon this year, but three Lions could get deals before the summer is over.
Holmes said in March the team has had internal discussions about extending the contracts of cornerback Amani Oruwariye and tight end T.J. Hockenson, and the expectation is they will do a multi-year deal with punter Jack Fox as well.
Hockenson’s deal could be the most complicated of the bunch, and the organization already has bought more time to get it done by picking up the fifth-year option on his current contract. There is no such safety net with Oruwariye, who is coming off a career-high six-interception season and deserves a pay raise as a fifth-round pick. If Holmes can knock out at least one of those deals, along with the Fox contract, before the season starts, it will make for a good summer.
Second fiddle
Players typically make their biggest jumps between their rookie and second seasons, and the Lions are hoping two players will take significant steps forward this year to help their defense: Levi Onwuzurike and Derrick Barnes.
Lions coach Dan Campbell was complimentary of Onwuzurike in April, saying the second-year defensive tackle spent most of the offseason working out at the team’s facility. Onwuzuirke was slowed by a back injury last year. If he can stay healthy this fall, he can help provide some much-needed interior pass rush.
Barnes’ role is a little murkier after the Lions signed Jarrad Davis and Chris Board in free agency. Alex Anzalone projects as one starting linebacker, and Board has the ability to play on third downs. Barnes flashed ability as a rookie, but will need to be more consistent to earn a regular role in Year 2.
Rookie roles
We covered Williams’ return from a torn ACL, and how the Lions could take a long-term approach with his rehab. But the team is expecting an immediate impact from its other top-50 picks.
Aidan Hutchinson should be a Day 1 starter as the No. 2 overall pick, and the Lions will provide a glimpse of how they’ll use him in their new 4-3 defense at rookie minicamp. Hutchinson can play all over the line, but seems like an ideal fit at right defensive end. Second-round pick Josh Paschal has similar position flexibility, but his most immediate contributions should come as an inside rusher. There’s even some question about how the Lions will use sixth-round pick James Houston.
There are other positional moves to watch over the next five weeks, including whether Will Harris returns to safety or finds a new home at slot cornerback. But for now, the rookies are on everyone’s mind.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.