From time to time this offseason Tim Twentyman will answer 10 good questions from his X account @ttwentyman in a feature we call "10 Questions with Twentyman."
20man: Fourth-year wide receiver Jameson Williams is poised for a big season by all indications coming out of the Meijer Performance Center this spring.
"When I first got here, he came in to see me and we had a chat. This is how I painted the picture, this is what you need to do, and this is how I see it and he's been unbelievable," offensive coordinator John Morton said recently of Williams.
"In the meetings, his attention to detail, I mean, I'm so excited to see him this year. It's going to be a breakout year for him. I can't wait. I just can't wait, man."
Williams caught 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns last season and was the first Lions receiver since Calvin Johnson to log five catches of 50-plus yards in a season. I don't think 75 receptions for at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns is out of the question for him and could put him in the conversation for his first Pro Bowl. I expect that much out of him in Morton's offense.
As for overtaking Amon-Ra St. Brown as WR No. 1, I don't see it. St. Brown has a proven track record of consistent production in this league and is a volume receiver in the slot for this offense. He's got quarterback Jared Goff's trust, and he's going to get 100-plus receptions if he stays healthy.
20man: It's a good question. I mentioned Williams having that potential above, though there's a lot of productive receivers in this league. Two other players that come to mind are linebacker Jack Campbell and cornerback D.J. Reed.
Campbell had 131 tackles in 2024 with five tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, five passes defended and 1.5 sacks. There's potential we see even more tackle production from him heading into his third year. If he adds a little more production in the tackles for loss and sack department, I think he can be in the Pro Bowl conversation at linebacker. I think he's going to be a monster in the middle of Kelvin Sheppard's defense this fall.
Reed, who the Lions signed in free agency, is a savvy man-cover corner who is going to have a chance to be a playmaker on the outside. For cornerbacks, it's all about interceptions when it comes to the Pro Bowl. The one thing working against him a little bit in that regard is the Lions play a lot of man coverage. That means his back is turned to the quarterback a lot, and there's not as many opportunities to rack up those interceptions.
But Reed is savvy and plays tight man, and if he gets an opportunity to snatch some early-season interceptions, he could be in the conversation too.
20man: McNeill might not be ready to return from the torn ACL suffered in December until maybe October or November. We'll have a better idea of where he's at in his rehab when we talk to him next.
First-round pick Tyleik Williams, whose game the Lions view similarly to McNeill's, has a chance to make an immediate impact. Levi Onwuzurike and Roy Lopez could also log a lot of snaps early in the season if McNeill isn't ready. Onwuzurike signed a one-year deal this offseason and knows a monster season could mean a big payday next offseason. He's also a three-down defender inside with his rush ability where DJ Reader is more of a first and second-down player.
20man: I did a podcast with Lions general manager Brad Holmes during the Annual League Meetings in Florida earlier in the offseason, and I thought he had some interesting things to say at the time on Aidan Hutchinson's rehab.
"I saw something just last week of him doing some mobility things that was very encouraging," Holmes said back in April. "There's a lot of sports science that goes into those rehab processes. His movement and his data that he's putting out right now is very, very encouraging at this point.
"The other thing about a guy like Hutch is you know how he's wired. It makes you sleep good at night that you have a guy that will go maximum full throttle and really attack it and it makes you sleep good at night."
Holmes couldn't have been more spot on regarding the second part of that answer, talking about how Hutchinson is wired and attacking the rehab. Just being around Hutchinson and knowing his work ethic, I think he'll be very motivated to regain the form we saw from him early last year before the broken leg suffered in Dallas. He knows he was on track to an MVP season last year, and there's been no indication from him or the team that he can't get right back to that form to start the season.
20man: I don't think the casual fan will notice a real difference honestly. Morton was on the staff in 2022 when Dan Campbell, Morton and Johnson built this offense around Goff. A lot of the pre-snap motions and formations are concepts Morton brought to the table as a Jon Gruden west coast offense disciple. Morton knows all too well the weapons he has at his disposal and what they do well, and he doesn't plan to change much.
"I'm not changing much," he said earlier this month. "I mean, why?"
Exactly. Why? This was an offense that was No. 1 in points per game (33.2), No. 2 in total offense (409.5), No. 2 in passing (263.2), No. 6 in rushing (146.4), No. 4 on third down (47.6 percent) and No. 3 in the red zone (69.4) last season. They return all their main skill weapons and added a couple more.
They'll still have trick plays mixed in and will take their fair share of deep shots to Williams and rookie Issac TeSlaa. The run game will be explosive with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery behind that terrific offensive front.
Campbell is the one constant in this equation. He's a much more brilliant offensive mind than he gets credit for. He knows his talent and how to use them, and so does Morton.
20man: Za'Darius Smith was a much-needed trade at the deadline last year because of the injuries along Detroit's defensive front. He had four sacks in eight games and stabilized the edge for the Lions' defense.
According to Holmes, who spoke on the issue at the Annual League Meetings in April, releasing Smith was straightforward.
"We couldn't afford it," he said. "That's the bottom line. That was my communication with him and he understood that."
Smith was due to be paid $11 million in 2025 in base salary and bonuses.
Holmes didn't rule out the potential of a reunion with Smith before the season on a more team-friendly deal. Smith remains a free agent.
20man: Ask and you shall receive. Just released yesterday.
- Thurs., July 31, vs. Los Angeles Charges (in Canton, Ohio), 8 p.m. ET
- Fri., Aug. 8, at Atlanta, 7 p.m. ET
- Sat., Aug. 16, vs. Miami, 1 p.m. ET
- Sat., Aug. 23, vs. Houston, 1 p.m. ET
20man: Let's break down where all three are at right now heading into OTAs in the coming weeks and then training camp in July:
Giovanni Manu was certainly a project in Year 1 transitioning from the University of British Columbia to the NFL. There was a lot that was new to him — mostly just adjusting to the speed at this level and technique needed to counter it, which is no easy task when it's all new. The Lions are going to try him out at guard some, according to Campbell this offseason, to see if it's a fit. I'd also expect him to compete with Dan Skipper for the swing tackle role. The move to guard will be interesting to watch. His size and athleticism are intriguing there.
For defensive tackle Brodric Martin, it might be his last chance to crack the roster going into his third season. I thought he was making some progress in camp before an injury set him back last year. Can he consistently play with good pad level and put himself into the defensive tackle rotation? It will be tough with the return of McNeill, Reader, Onwuzurike, Mekhi Wingo, Myles Adams and with the recent additions of Williams (draft) and Lopez (free agency). This could be his last chance to prove he can.
Running back Sione Vaki made an immediate impact on special teams and I see him having a similarly big role on teams in all four phases this season. Can he supplant Craig Reynolds as running back No. 3? He'd have to prove that in training camp and the preseason, but his role on teams will be key for the Lions all year.
20man: Playing opposite Hutchinson means a lot of one-on-ones with opportunities to make plays. If veteran Marcus Davenport can stay healthy, I believe he can be that player.
He lived in the backfield Week 1 opposite Hutchinson vs. the Rams last season (four quarterback hits and a sack) before the injuries struck, including the triceps injury suffered Week 3 in Arizona that ended his season.
Davenport knows availability is his biggest obstacle to overcome and he had the right mindset when we talked to him recently.
"I need to get on the field first and prove myself as a healthy component," he said. "Then everything else, I think, should take care of itself."
The Lions have a similar viewpoint. The player and the skillset fits opposite Hutchinson and if healthy he could be a perfect complement. The last time he played a full season he had 9.0 sacks for the Saints. If he plays at least 15 games, I don't think 7.5 sacks will be hard for him to reach.
20man: The start of training camp will give us a better indication of this as the intensity level and competitive environment ramp up. Rookie minicamp is more about installation and getting these youngsters up to speed so they don't slow the veterans down in OTA practices.
But based off what I noticed during rookie minicamp, Sheppard and new running backs coach Tashard Choice are going to get after it a bit. They are really close friends and fierce competitors on the field as former players in this league. They'll get vocal and their players will feed off it. Assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery will be in the mix too.
Morton strikes me as a more cerebral coach. He stuck pretty close to the quarterback at minicamp. We'll see if that's the case with Goff come training camp.
