Analysis: Lucas injured his hamstring back in December and ended up spending the remainder of the season on injured reserve but now appears to be healthy once again. The 26-year-old will likely be competing for a depth spot throughout the summer after logging three tackles (one solo) in six games last season.

Analysis: Jacobs is bouncing back from a torn ACL he suffered last December. He'll be over seven months removed from surgery by the time training camp kicks off this summer, but it remains a strong possibility that he could miss games to start to the 2022 season. When healthy, Jacobs will compete for a rotational role at cornerback under Amani Oruwariye, Mike Hughes, Jeff Okudah (Achilles), and AJ Parker.

Analysis: At minimum, Joseph is expected to carve out a role on special teams, but the Lions are also looking for someone to replace Will Harris at the safety spot next to Tracy Walker. Not only does Elliott's contract position him as modest competition for that role, but the 2018 sixth-round pick has missed at least 10 games in two of the past three seasons. Joseph, on the other hand, was handpicked in the third round by Detroit's current front office and he should soon be recovered from a minor hamstring injury. Even if he doesn't open the season in the starting lineup, Joseph seems penciled in as the future of the position in Detroit, and he should be a significant part of the rotation regardless.

Analysis: Chark missed most of the 2021 campaign with a fractured ankle, but he has seemingly had a productive offseason that somewhat started with joining Jared Goff for throwing sessions in California. Since then, the receiver has been getting acclimated in Detroit and has remained setback-free while doing so. If the 25-year-old can stay that way through the end of the summer, Chark should easily open the season as the Lions' No. 1 perimeter receiver while Jameson Williams (knee) works his way back from an ACL injury.

Analysis: Only Cooper Kupp was more productive than St. Brown was down the stretch of last season, but he got there with an inflated target share that was aided by the absences of fellow short-range receivers T.J. Hockenson and D'Andre Swift. The healthy return of those two alone would figure to eat away at a large chunk of the 11.2 targets per game St. Brown was seeing. Add in the fact that Detroit now has two promising perimeter receivers in DJ Chark and Jameson Williams (knee), and St. Brown could see a dramatic downturn in offensive opportunities relative to last year's productive stretch that saw him average 8.5 receptions, 93.3 receiving yards and one touchdown per game.

Analysis: The 2019 fifth-round draft pick has not missed many games relative to 2020 No. 3 overall pick Jeff Okudah (Achilles). Oruwariye is also coming off a highly productive (57 tackles, 11 PBUs, six interceptions) 2021 campaign as Detroit's No. 1 cornerback despite having played behind one of the least productive defensive fronts in the league. While it could take awhile for both sides to come to an agreement after Denzel Ward reset the cornerback market this offseason, look for the Lions to lock Oruwariye up before long. Meanwhile, it appears the 26-year-old is past his broken thumb considering Oruwariye has reportedly been working out at team headquarters this spring.

Analysis: Bell (5-foot-11, 201 pounds) is not particularly fast or explosive, but he racked up over 1,000 yards with nine touchdowns last year at San Diego State. With Detroit, he'll get a chance to compete with Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Godwin Igwebuike for a depth role at running back.

Analysis: After Tyrell Williams went down in Week 1 and before Cephus broke his collarbone in Week 5, the Wisconsin product had a large role that commanded at least 70 percent of the offensive snaps per game. However, the 6-foot-4 Chark seemingly fits the mold that Detroit has been looking for at "X" receiver, and Detroit traded up in the first round to add another promising perimeter receiver in Williams. With Amon-Ra St. Brown locked into the slot role, Cephus seems no higher than No. 4 or 5 on the depth chart entering 2022. However, if the Lions take a cautious approach with Williams' return from an ACL injury, the short list of candidates to take his spot in the starting lineup would be Cephus and Josh Reynolds.

Analysis: It initially seemed highly optimistic for Williams to be ready for training camp this summer considering he underwent knee surgery six-and-a-half months earlier. However, it sounds like his knee injury was not as severe as many of them tend to be, which led doctors to prescribe a 5-to-7 month timeline for recovery that would align with the start of training camp. The fact that Williams has already resumed running and regaining the range of motion in his knee provides evidence that this recovery is going smoothly. With that said, Williams could remain setback-free and the Lions' coaching staff might still take a conservative approach with his return to the field come training camp. Fantasy managers should prepare accordingly, as it remains a possibility that Williams starts the 2022 campaign on the sidelines.

Analysis: The Lions' front office not only steered clear of the quarterback market in free agency, they did not spend a draft pick on a developmental prospect, either. Instead, they bolstered Goff's receiving options with DJ Chark, first-round rookie Jameson Williams (knee) and tight end James Mitchell (knee). Now, Goff has a fantastic receiving corps to complement a highly-pedigreed offensive line and a capable backfield. If Goff can't succeed within this talented offensive roster, it seems highly likely that Detroit will look for someone who can next offseason, when Goff could be cut with relatively minimal salary cap implications.

Analysis: After trying to get by with aging veterans in Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman last year, Detroit enters the 2022 campaign with a significant upgrade at outside receiver in the form of Jameson Williams and a 25-year-old second-rounder (2018) in DJ Chark. Considering Chark owns an impressive 4.34 40 time and still might be markedly slower than Jameson Williams (who was unable to participate in the 40 this offseason), St. Brown stands to benefit from these speedy additions, which likely will give St. Brown more room to work in the middle of the field. The main concern is how St. Brown's volume will be affected after he averaged 11.2 targets per game over the final six contests of the 2021 season.

Analysis: Mitchell presumably fell to the fifth round of last week's draft due to an ACL injury he suffered last September. When healthy, the Virginia Tech product should slot no lower than fourth on the depth chart entering training camp. If all goes right this summer, Mitchell could possibly challenge Brock Wright and Garrett Griffin for the No. 2 role at tight end behind T.J. Hockenson -- while possibly getting snaps at H-back as well.

Analysis: Lucas was a four-star recruit at Arizona State and earned Freshman All-American honors in 2017, but he seemed to plateau after that. Still, he's a five-year starter that didn't allow any touchdowns over 10 starts in the 2021 season, and he's quick enough to mimic opposing receivers.

Analysis: Houston played sparingly over four years at Florida before he transferred to Jackson State of the FCS for the 2021 season. He was utterly dominant at the FCS level, posting 70 tackles, 24.5 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and an interception over 13 games. Even at a lower level of competition, that level of production is worth taking a flier on.

Analysis: Rodriguez is undersized for an NFL linebacker (5-foot-11, 232 pounds) and isn't super fast for his smaller frame (4.52 40-yard dash), but he was a major factor as a four-year starter for Oklahoma State, particularly as a tackler. Expect the 23-year-old to begin his career as a solid special teams player as he continues to add more girth to his frame.

Analysis: Mitchell's senior season ended early when he tore his ACL after just two games. The Virginia native showed some promise between his sophomore and junior seasons with 47 receptions, 896 yards and six touchdowns through 23 games (17 starts). While he didn't test in the pre-draft process because of his knee, he utilized his speed well in college, though he's slightly undersized at 6-foot-4, 249 pounds. Mitchell has the versatility to fill an H-back role in the NFL, and Detroit's TE room is wide open behind T.J. Hockenson.

Analysis: Williams tore his ACL on Jan. 10 and will be over seven months removed from surgery by the time training camp commences this summer. Despite modern advancements in medical treatments, expecting him to be ready for the start of training camp seems optimistic, and it's not certain that he will even be able to work himself into individual drills before the preseason begins. In the end, fantasy managers will likely need to be patient with Williams as a rookie, with Meinke noting that the receiver most likely won't be ready for game action until October.

Analysis: The Illinois product showed ball-hawking ability in his final season with the Illini, when he moved into a starting role and picked off five passes. Joseph suffered a hamstring injury at the combine that prevented him from running, but he did put down a 38.5-inch vertical and a 123-inch broad jump. He adds depth to Detroit's safety room and could develop into a starter down the road.

Analysis: Paschal (6-foot-3, 268 pounds) joins second overall pick Aidan Hutchinson as reinforcements for Detroit's defensive line. Paschal offers more defensive tackle versatility for the Lions in four-man fronts, whereas Hutchinson should mostly stay outside at the end position. Moreover, in three-man fronts, Paschal might be able to line up at end on occasion. He was a disruptive defender at Kentucky, and he showed NFL-level athleticism at the combine by logging a 4.77-second 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical jump and 123-inch broad jump.

Analysis: The Lions traded up from the 32nd pick to nab Williams after three wide receivers went off the board in the four prior picks. It's a surprising outcome because the Lions appeared to have sufficient wide receiver depth with all of Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Chark, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and Quintez Cephus on the depth chart already, but Williams' merit as a prospect out of Alabama is compelling to the point that it's hard to criticize the pick. While St. Brown and tight end T.J. Hockenson figure to hog the middle of the field among Detroit's route runners, Williams offers a totally different downfield element, and in that downfield capacity Williams might be an NFL standout immediately. This is of course not an ideal fit with the skill set of Jared Goff, who is less than comfortable pushing the ball downfield, but if Detroit eventually stumbles into a good starting quarterback it would be easy to imagine Williams among the league's most productive receivers. The main obstacle in the meantime is his recovery from a torn ACL suffered Jan. 10. The Lions have the depth to bring him back slowly and they may well do that, but expect Williams to stand out once he's physically ready. He was outrageously productive for Alabama in 2021, turning 118 targets into 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns (67.0 percent caught, 13.3 yards per target) while returning two kickoffs for touchdowns.