When the Detroit Lions traded up to select Jameson Williams 12th overall in the 2022 NFL draft, fans thought their beloved team had finally secured an X-factor playmaker to juice up Jared Goff's passing game.
Standing 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with a blazing fast outside speed, Williams looked like an ideal addition to Dan Campbell's offensive arsenal, especially with 2021 fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown coming off a fantastic rookie season as a possession specialist.
And yet, due to an unfortunate concoction of injuries, suspensions, and ill-executed opportunities, Williams really hasn't put it all together, having caught just 25 of the 51 balls thrown his way for 395 yards and three touchdowns over his 18 career appearances.
Discouraging? You bet, but that doesn't mean Williams can't put it all together and turn himself into a serious player for the Lions this fall. If anything, flying a bit under the radar has actually made things easier for the Alabama product, as, according to his head coach, the former first-overall pick looks different in a good way when compared to his past few offseasons.
Jameson Williams looks like a confident player for the Lions in 2024
With training camp officially underway, the Lions' coaching staff has been afforded a chance to really evaluate their roster and compare their past, present, and future, and, in, Campbell's opinion, one of the standouts of the offseason has been Williams, who looks confident in heading into a pivotal third professional season.
ā[T]his is the most confident that I've seen him since he's been here. He came in with the right mindset when we started this offseason, and that has not waned one bit. He's in a good place, and he's taken the coaching, he's trying to work on it, he's improving, and he's making plays, so we like where he's at mentally and emotionally,ā Dan Campbell told reporters via Pro Football Talk.
āThe only thing I would say is he ā everybody's got to keep their head. There's going to be ā the tempers get going, and there's emotion to it, and you can feel the energy building, but you've still got to be able to keep your head about you and make sure that you're ready for the next play, that's all. So, I love the energy we've got at practice right now.ā
On paper, the Lions have made some moves to insulate themselves if Williams struggles once more, trading for Donovan Peoples-Jones last fall and signing Tre'Quan Smith in free agency to round out their wide receiver rotation heading into a pivotal 2024 season. If Williams can't hang or simply proves himself nothing more than a one-dimensional speedster who can only run go-routes, the Lions have contingency plans to make sure Goff has plenty of offensive options on the way to a battle royal for the top spot in the NFC North.
If, however, Williams can prove himself a true difference maker on the outside, a speedy option who can outrun most defensive backs straight down the field while adding even more pop on screen passes and crossing patterns, well, the Lions' offense has the potential to unlock a ceiling previously only imagined by fans when the former Alabama product came off the board in 2022. Why? Because few players in the NFL have the size-speed combo Williams possesses, and even if he only had one elite season in college, he put enough dazzling displays on tape to justify being a top-15 pick in the NFL draft.
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