Detroit Lions and Pittsburgh Steelers practice - August 9, 2016

Lions receiver Marvin Jones runs after making a catch during Tuesday's practice with Pittsburgh.

(Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)

LATROBE, Pa. -- While Calvin Johnson contemplated retirement, Golden Tate said he was ready to become the Detroit Lions' No. 1 receiver.

But it's looking more and more every day like that won't be needed.

Tate is expected to play a big role in the Lions offense this season, but it is prized free-agent acquisition Marvin Jones who looks like the club's top wideout. And in recent days, it hasn't been all that close.

On Tuesday, quarterback Matthew Stafford got his first chance to work against a foreign defense, and he went to Jones repeatedly, targeting him with seven of his 14 passes during team drills at a joint practice with the Steelers.

Jones caught six of those passes. No one else had more than two.

"Yeah, I think so," Stafford said, when asked if he were developing a chemistry with Jones. "There's a ton of work to be done between now and the season opener. That's what these days are for."

Jones has been Stafford's favorite target throughout most of camp, with Tate, Anquan Boldin and tight end Eric Ebron also earning a lot of looks. But Ebron is hurt right now, and Tate is battling an uncharacteristic bout of dropsies.

He had a drop in the mock game on Saturday, and another two against the Steelers.

Jones has been more sure-handed, sucking up practically everything in his orbit. That includes the short to intermediate routes, and in the absence of Johnson, he's become the team's clear-cut deep threat as well.

He caught Stafford's longest completion in the joint practice with Pittsburgh, on a go-route bomb during one-on-one drills. And he had three catches during that methodical 16-play touchdown drive to end the day for the starters.

"It was good, it wasn't perfect," Stafford said. "We had a snap mishap that was probably 50 percent my fault. Just took my eye off it or something, but ended up making a play on it. It wasn't the cleanest.

"We're practicing against a new team. We're not scouting them coming in, so we just kind of show up and figure out how we're going to play."

Tate has led the Lions in catches each of the last two seasons, and isn't going anywhere. He could even do it again this year. But just like Johnson was Stafford's No. 1 target when he needed yards the most -- especially on the deep ball, which is not Tate's forte -- it is Jones that Stafford is turning to the most.

And if practice is any indication, he'll have an excellent chance of leading the Lions in receiving this season.