When the Detroit Lions chose wide receiver Jameson Williams in the first round in 2022, they understood two things: he had the potential to be a game changer in the NFL, and he still needed to mature.
Williams, now in his third NFL season, has demonstrated development and has raised the team’s expectations. Head coach Dan Campbell dubbed him the team’s most improved player earlier this summer, while deputy general manager Ray Agnew praised his “tremendous growth” in a recent interview.
However, general manager Brad Holmes said that the organization received a warning about Williams when they drafted him.
“When we drafted him, we said, ‘He’s going to have to mature a little bit.’ “And he did, so it’s been right on time,” Holmes told SI.com’s John Maakaron.
“Blessing in Disguise” for Jameson Williams
Williams had a rough start to his career in Detroit, missing the majority of his rookie season while recovering from a ruptured ACL and losing the first four games of his second season due to a gambling suspension.
According to Holmes, Williams’ time away was beneficial since he was able to improve himself both on and off the field.
“I’ll just say on Jamo, too, and not just him specifically, but in a lot of different situations, it happens in life often that you think you’re encountering a setback, and it ends up being a blessing in disguise a little bit,” Holmes joked. “I believe we were aware that he would be healing from his injury over the first two years. However, he encountered another stumbling block in his second year, yet he made significant progress during that time. Showed incredible improvement as a person and a player, which I see as a positive because now he’s out there and you can obviously see the maturation in his game. And it’s been a pleasure to see this year.”
The Lions are putting their speedy receiver in a big role.
The Lions’ wide receiving corps saw a significant adjustment this offseason when No. 2 receiver Josh Reynolds left for free agency, leaving a vacancy that Williams is expected to fill. According to Tim Twentyman, a reporter for the team’s official website, Williams is likely to receive the majority of Reynolds’ targets (64) from previous season.
Holmes expressed confidence in Williams’ ability to handle the role, citing his hard work this offseason.
“You can clearly tell he’s put the work in and he’s been working even harder,” Holmes told the reporter. “It means something to him. This kid enjoys football. I mean, he loves football, and I believe the results from this training camp show that he has put in a lot of effort.”
Holmes said that Williams has lots of support and role models, like Amon-Ra St. Brown.
“Obviously, you have an elite player like St. Brown, and forget the performance, but how his intangibles are and Kalif Raymond,” Holmes noted. “He has some great men to look up to and follow. He knows how things function, but you can see the results at camp.”
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