D.J. Chark News

The Carolina Panthers have reportedly signed wide receiver D.J. Chark on Friday. After moving D.J. Moore to the Bears earlier this month, Chark's addition is the second major move to Carolina's receiving group. Expect the 26-year old to play a vertical field-stretching role for the Panthers after he registered a 15.9 average depth of target last season. On 51 targets in 2022, Chark ranked 45th among wideouts with a 69.6 Pro Football Focus offensive rating while recording 30 receptions for 502 yards and 3 touchdowns and 1.47 yards per route run.

Chark caught 30 passes on 52 targets for 502 yards and three TDs in 11 games for Detroit in 2022, his lone campaign with the team. As long as he can stay healthy, the 26-year-old projects to be a key pass-catching target for the Panthers in 2022 alongside fellow newcomer Adam Thielen. Veteran signal-caller Andy Dalton currently tops the team's QB depth chart, but it's assumed that Carolina will bolster the position via the top pick in next month's NFL Draft, with Chark's early-season fantasy prospects in 2023 hinging on how well he meshes with the franchise's Week 1 starter.

Chark struggled to get open most of the game outside of the play in which he made the game-sealing catch on 4th-and-1 with just over a minute remaining in regulation. He'll finish out his one-year contract with Detroit having racked up 502 yards and three scores over 11 games. While this isn't the kind of production that will significantly boost his stock entering free agency, Chark performed well in a deep-threat role and caught a career-high three catches of 40-plus yards despite seeing a handful fewer targets than he saw during his productive days in Jacksonville between 2019 and 2020.

Chark logged a pair of 28-yard gains but wasn't needed to do much else on a day Detroit had its way on the ground -- outside of throwing an impressive block to help spring Jameson Williams for a 40-yard rushing gain. Against a Bears defense that ranked among the worst in the league in many passing categories, this output was surely a disappointment to anyone counting on Chark for production. Look for the entire Lions passing game to rebound in a crucial regular-season finale in Green Bay to book a trip to the playoffs.

Chark made a number of nice catches -- including a 39-yard haul on 3rd-and-10 at one point -- while displaying a deep-threat ability that continues to complement fellow starting wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown well. Chark has ultimately finished with at least 94 receiving yards in the past four games and his 19.9 yards per reception over this stretch ranks among the highest in the league -- significantly outdistancing the season-long league leader in that category, Jaylen Waddle (18.0). With the Lions possibly set up to lean on the passing game over the final two games with Jamaal Williams (leg) uncertain to play, Chark could keep the good times rolling in Week 17 against the Bears.

Chark ultimately drew one of the more unfavorable matchups he could find against likely defensive rookie of the year Sauce Gardner, who was almost never tested by Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Instead, the Lions directed the vast majority of the passing game through Amon-Ra St. Brown and running back D'Andre Swift on short passes. Chark and the rest of the Lions passing game will look to get back to their explosive ways in Week 16 against a Panthers defense that could be without top cornerback CJ Henderson (ankle).