DJ Chark

Chark has missed 22 of 50 games since breaking out in his second season (2019) for 1,008 receiving yards and eight TDs. He was stuck in terrible Jacksonville offenses until last year, and while the move to Detroit somewhat rejuvenated his career, Chark missed six games in October/November and didn't return to the starting lineup until Week 12. But he came on strong down the stretch as a big-play threat, averaging 3.3 catches for 57.7 yards on 4.7 targets in the final seven games (two TDs). It was enough to land a one-year contract with significant guarantees for a second consecutive offseason, though the 2018 second-rounder settled for $5 million from Carolina after getting twice that from Detroit a year earlier. Chark joins Adam Thielen, Terrace Marshall and second-round pick Jonathan Mingo at wide receiver in a new-look Panthers offense led by coach Frank Reich and rookie QB Bryce Young. Thielen is a possession receiver and Chark is the best of the potential field-stretchers, which should bode well for his target volume, assuming Young develops. Chark underwent offseason ankle surgery but is expected to be ready for training camp.

Chark's 2019 accounts for about half of his career receiving totals, though he's now played four seasons and 43 games. He had only 174 yards in 2018 as a rookie second-round pick, before exploding in 2019 for a 73-1,008-8 receiving line on 118 targets. The next year, Chark dropped to 53-706-5 on 93 targets in 13 games, and then last year he had 154 yards and two TDs before suffering a season-ending ankle fracture Week 4. The 25-year-old now heads to Detroit on a one-year, $10 million contract, and with plenty of time to work his way back from the ankle injury. The problem, at least for Chark's fantasy value, is that rookie No. 12 pick Jameson Williams might simply be better as the team's downfield threat once he completes his recovery from an ACL tear suffered in January. The timing makes Williams uncertain for Week 1, whereas Chark said in May that he didn't have any limitations at spring practices.

After his breakout 2019, a combination of rib, shin and ankle injuries cost Chark three games last year, and he never found any consistency with the Jaguars’ carousel of subpar quarterbacks. But help is on the way. The Jaguars drew the first pick in the draft, with which they selected uber-prospect Trevor Lawrence, who should provide an immediate and significant upgrade. At 6-4, 198, with blazing 4.34 speed, a 40-inch vertical and a 129-inch broad jump, Chark’s athletic profile jumps off the page. And he’s already put up a 1,000-yard, eight-TD season with Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles. Chark won’t just have a new quarterback, but also a new offensive coordinator (Darrell Bevell) and new coach (Urban Meyer). Bevell has directed some run-heavy offenses, but Meyer’s teams have usually had more wide-open attacks, and with Lawrence under center, we have to imagine the Jaguars will be throwing it. Chark should be the top target, but second-year man Laviska Shenault showed promise as the rookie, and the team signed veteran Marvin Jones this offseason.

Despite doing little in 11 games as a rookie, Chark broke out in Year 2, making the most of his 118 targets - 13.8 YPC, 8.5 YPT - for a below-average passing team. At 6-4, 198, and with blazing 4.34 speed, a 40-inch vertical leap and 129-inch broad jump, Chark's physical tools are approaching Randy Moss territory. While he had only one catch of 40-plus yards, Chark caught 17 for 20-plus (T-9th), and there's little doubt he's fast enough to stretch the field. He didn't see a ton of work in the red zone (15 total targets, six from inside the 10) but still scored eight touchdowns and had only four drops all year. With Nick Foles in Chicago, it should be second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew's team all offseason, and he should get better and improve his rapport with the Jags' top receiver. The Jaguars drafted bruiser Laviska Shenault in the second round, and Dede Westbrook is still around, but they're more likely to compete with one another and Chris Conley than cut into Chark's secured role. Finally, the Jaguars offense should improve under new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, who hasn't had a young receiver with this type of size and speed since he coached A.J. Green in Cincinnati.

A former LSU Tiger, Chark was selected in the second round of the 2018 draft and proceeded to be a non-factor in an unproductive offense for most of the season. He missed five games with a quad injury and had 14 catches for 174 yards, looking very much like a receiver relying on raw talent rather than technical skill. At 6-4, 198 pounds, and with a 4.34 40-yard dash and 40-inch vertical, the 22-year-old still possesses elite tools, but needs to take a significant step forward this offseason in order to utilize them. Dede Westbrook is locked in for regular snaps, but beyond that it's more of a crapshoot for the Jaguars at wide receiver. Chark has a realistic chance to secure the No. 2 or 3 role as he competes with Chris Conley, Marquise Lee and Keelan Cole. The upgrade to Nick Foles at quarterback should help Chark from both a developmental and production standpoint, but at this point it's difficult to call him a potential sleeper given his struggles last year.

The 6-4, 198-pound receiver out of LSU was a potential first-round pick in April's draft, but the Jaguars were able to snatch him late in the second round. Chark had a dominant combine with a 4.34 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical and 129-inch broad jump after posting 40 catches for 874 yards (21.9 average) and three touchdowns for the Tigers in 2017. The 21-year-old seems unlikely to take on a high-volume role due to the Jaguars run-heavy offense and depth of talent at wide receiver, but his potential as a big-play threat could have Chark making significant contributions in his rookie season.