3 Under-the-Radar Offensive Players on Lions' 2021 Roster
Detroit Lions fans have been buzzing all offseason long about the Lions' new starting signal-caller Jared Goff and the team's new No. 2 running back Jamaal Williams.
There's also been a ton of speculation from the fanbase about what the organization's first-round pick this year, Penei Sewell, will look like and where he'll line up on Detroit's offensive line.
However, those won't be the only players on the offensive side of the ball that determine the team's level of success in 2021. You also have to factor in the Lions' unheralded players, or under-the-radar performers that could emerge on to the scene this fall.
Without further ado, here are three of those players that don't necessarily attract the headlines, like Goff and Sewell, but will be key to Detroit's success this upcoming season.
WR Breshad Perriman
The offseason acquisition and son of Lions legend Brett Perriman has bounced around the league since being drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Due to the depleted nature of the receivers room in the Motor City, Perriman has a chance to make an immediate impact with the Lions.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound speedster is coming off a season with the N.Y. Jets in which he recorded 30 receptions for 505 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games.
He has a chance to carve out a bigger role for himself in Motown, and it'll be interesting to see how new Detroit offensive play-caller Anthony Lynn chooses to deploy him.
OG Jonah Jackson
Detroit's offensive line is largely recognized as the best part of the team's offense going into the 2021 season.
Center Frank Ragnow, a Pro Bowler a year ago, and left tackle Taylor Decker are coming off highly regarded campaigns, according to Pro Football Focus. And, selecting Oregon standout offensive lineman Penei Sewell in the first round (No. 7 overall) only adds to the narrative that the Lions' O-line will be their strongest performing unit on the offensive side of the ball in 2021.
There's another player on the O-line that deserves mentioning, though. His name: Jonah Jackson.
Just a rookie a year ago, the Ohio State product started all 16 games, and performed admirably at left guard.
Yet, he's an often forgotten returning player from the productive bunch of individuals that comprised Detroit's offensive line in 2020.
With another year of solid production this upcoming season, it's fair to say that Jackson will no longer be the "forgotten one."
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RB Jermar Jefferson
D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams get all the attention on the Lions' running backs depth chart -- and rightfully so as the No. 1 and 2 backs, respectively. However, if an injury occurs to either Swift or Williams, Jefferson, Detroit's seventh-round pick this year and the No. 3 back on the team's depth chart, is the next man up.
There has been a ton of speculation about the organization adding Todd Gurley or another veteran back with its final open roster spot.
However, it still hasn't happened up to this point, which means that Jefferson has a solid chance to make the team's 53-man roster out of training camp.
Jefferson produced 2,923 yards and 27 touchdowns on 514 carries in 27 career games at Oregon State.
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