After finishing the 2022 season on an 8-2 run, the Lions are widely considered to be a contender in the NFC for the coming year.
Could that club get a boost by signing free-agent receiver DeAndre Hopkins?
“Yeah, I’m not gonna comment on that one,” head coach Dan Campbell said on Thursday when asked about Hopkins in his press conference. “But I like our receivers room. I think we’ve got a good mix of different types of guys. I think it’s important, really, in your skill positions between tight ends, backs, and receivers that you have a mix of different types of skillsets — and I feel like we have that. We’ve got possession, explosive, we’ve got speed. We’ve got consistency, quickness.
“So, I just think we have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things. So, the more versatility you have, that opens up your packages personnel-wise, matchup-wise.”
The Lions do have talented receivers — like Amon-Ra St. Brown, who caught 106 passes for 1,161 yards with six touchdowns last season. But the club will be without 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams for the first six games of 2023 due to his suspension for betting that occurred within a Lions facility.
It’s unclear whether or not Detroit will enter the Hopkins sweepstakes. But adding a receiver of his caliber would only help the club contend.