Inside the Article:
The Detroit Lions made a gamble last year, moving up in the NFL draft to pick Jameson Williams, hoping for a top-tier receiver. However, Lions coach Dan Campbell admitted recently that, in his opinion, Williams might never have “elite” hands.
Dan Campbell makes head-scratching comment about Jameson Williams’ hands
Struggling with more drops than catches in six games last season, Williams’ inconsistent performance catching the ball has been a cause for concern this spring and summer. Campbell spoke to the media on Thursday morning, and he caught quite a few people off guard with what some are calling a ‘head-scratching’ comment about Williams’ hands.
“(The drops) show up and that’s something we’ve talked about with him and he knows that, too,” Campbell said. “I think, man, working his hand mechanics. He’s got to work those pre-practice, he’s got to work them post-practice. And I mean, really, he’s just got to grind on it, and even then it’s not — it’ll never be probably be like one of these elite pass-catchers that you’ve seen, but it’ll be just fine with his speed and what he’s able to do.”
“There’s a number of things he can clean up with it and I think it’s just, man, time on task, work through it, because honestly there are some things that — just the simple change of the way your hands are by ball location, pinkie to pinkie, thumb to thumb, that’ll go a long way for him,” Campbell said. “And so, we just got to keep working through it. We just got to keep working through it.”
Why it Matters
Some people are completely blowing Campbell’s comments about Jamo’s hand out of proportion. In fact, some are taking it as far as to say that Campbell does not believe Williams will ever be an elite receiver in the NFL. In my opinion, Campbell was simply pointing out what Williams has put on tape up to this point in his career.
Key Points
- Jameson Williams has been struggling with his hand mechanics, leading to more drops than catches.
- Despite the struggle, Coach Campbell believes Williams can still be a valuable asset due to his speed.
- Williams’ speed also serves as a double-edged sword, as it has allowed him to rely less on precision ball-catching and detailed route running.
- Campbell expresses the need for Williams to continue working on his weaknesses to improve his performance.
Bottom Line – Speed is Good, Grip is Better
Despite his hand-catching deficiencies, Williams’ raw speed remains an invaluable asset. However, in a league where every catch counts, the necessity for him to improve his hand mechanics is undeniable. One thing is for certain, Williams wants to be the best and he will do everything in his power to improve his hands.
