Even without top pick Jameson Williams, Lions offense has sizzle

To save a roster spot, the Lions moved prized rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams to the reserve/NFI (non-football injury) list Tuesday. Players on this list don’t account for a roster spot but must miss at least the first four games of the season. All teams must be down to 53 players by Tuesday.

Williams, the speedster out of Alabama, suffered a torn left ACL in the national championship game vs. Georgia in January. Because of this, the Lions turned heads on draft night when they made a deal with division rival Minnesota to move up and draft Williams with the No. 12 overall pick. The consensus was that he would miss time, but because of his ceiling, he was too good to pass on, said GM Brad Holmes via NFL.com.

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is eager to get Williams involved, but he has plenty to work with now.

What seemed like one of the worst wide receiver rooms in the league last season has turned into one with flare and promise. Second-year receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown put the league on notice at the back half of last season, reeling in 51 catches in his final six games, a stretch in which the Lions racked up all three of their wins.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ former No. 1 receiver D.J. Chark came to Detroit in free agency with injury concerns, but he’s ready to put that to rest. Josh Reynolds, a former Ram, joined the Lions midseason last year with a previous rapport with quarterback Jared Goff. (By the way, head coach Dan Campbell's nicknames for Reynolds --"Spider of Death," "Praying Mantis," "Freaking Serpent" -- are hilarious.)

Tight end T.J. Hockenson has had an interesting first three seasons in the NFL. After a pedestrian rookie season, he broke out in his second go-round with a Pro Bowl season, accumulating 723 yards and six touchdowns. This was also Matthew Stafford’s final season under center before requesting his trade to the L.A. Rams.

Hockenson’s first season with Goff was shaky, to say the least. But with more weapons to draw defensive attention from him, a healthy Hockenson will inevitably rise back to Pro Bowl form.

In the running game, D’Andre Swift wants to rush for at least 1,000 yards and reach 1,000 yards receiving. If you believe that’s going to happen, then that’s what a lot of this offense will look like. There’s also steady backup Jamaal Williams to hit the hole behind the Lions’ stout offensive line.

The Lions have the luxury of playing seven of the bottom half of defenses from last season, including the Vikings, whom they’ll face twice. The question is, will Johnson and his offensive arsenal be able to seize that advantage?

Williams will miss at least a month, meaning the earliest he can return is Oct. 9 vs. the New England Patriots. If the Lions' offense is on any sort of heater when Williams’ green light comes, the Lions have a legitimate chance to be a top offense when they add his burst to the mix.