Inside the Article:
When the Detroit Lions selected WR Jameson Williams with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, he told anyone that would listen that he hoped to be 100% and ready to play by the time training camp started. Well, his vision and Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell‘s vision turned out to be different than Williams’ as the Lions vowed they would be very patient with him until he was 100% recovered from his torn ACL. Williams eventually made his NFL debut and even played in a handful of games, but he really did not make much of an impact, other than on a couple of plays. According to Pro Football Focus, that could change in 2023.
Why it Matters
Despite not having Williams as a central part of their offense for the 2022 season, the Lions’ offensive unit was still one of the best in the league. That being said, you can bet that Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell, along with offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are counting on Williams being a much more significant part of the offense in 2023.
- Williams was the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft
- He has elite speed and can be a huge threat to score every time he has the ball in his hands
- Williams will make the Lions’ offense even harder to defend in 2022
Jameson Williams listed as ‘breakout candidate’ for 2023
According to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus, Williams is a breakout candidate for Detroit in 2023.
Williams’ rookie year was effectively a medical redshirt, but we saw late in the season the kind of impact his speed can have, which is clearly devastating even after just recovering from a torn ACL.
The former Alabama star got behind defenses with ease, and even though he caught just one of eight targets, his big-play ability was obvious.
Jameson Williams by the numbers
As noted earlier, though Williams could play in some games during the 2022 season, he did not make much of an impact other than on a couple of plays.
Here is how Williams fared during his rookie season:
- 6 games played
- 1 reception for 41 yards and a touchdown
- 9 total targets
- 1 rush for 40 yards
