Getty Jameson Williams on stage after being picked in the 2022 NFL draft.
Looking at some of the immediate images, it was fair to wonder. Did Jameson Williams want to land with the Detroit Lions? Many folks thought he looked pretty disappointed in real-time to be the pick.
Nothing to see here at all, however, according to Williams himself. In spite of some facial expressions which quickly became internet memes at Detroit’s expense, Williams wants folks to know to take none of it seriously. He’s ready to go for his new team and thrilled to be in the mix with the Lions for the present and future.
The latest Lions news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Lions newsletter here!
Williams joined Spotify’s Complex Sports Live for an interview and was asked about this meme phenomenon. As The Athletic’s Chris Burke showed, he explained that it was a major misunderstanding based around the notion that Williams was simply tired from all the travel and a busy schedule.
Hosts just asked Williams about the idea that he wasn’t excited to be picked by the Lions, because he didn’t seem happy at his press conference. Williams laughed.
“I was just tired a little bit. I had to kick it the night before — it was a lifetime experience.”
“Hosts just asked Williams about the idea that he wasn’t excited to be picked by the Lions, because he didn’t seem happy at his press conference. Williams laughed. “I was just tired a little bit. I had to kick it the night before — it was a lifetime experience,” Williams said on the show as shown in Burke’s tweet.
So there’s a simple answer. Williams was tired from kicking it the night before. Who amongst us hasn’t had that experience in their youth? Nothing to see at all in terms of a disappointed reaction or anything else, proving once again that the internet can lie, no matter how unbelievable that might be to some.
Williams ‘Looking Forward’ to Playing With Lions
Not only is Williams not disappointed with where he landed, he is just as excited to get going and start to show the world the kind of player he is. As he admitted on the show, the Lions were the team to trade up and take a chance on him, which is very meaningful in his mind.
“Jameson Williams on landing in Detroit: “I’m looking forward to it, for real. Football, it’s what I do. … They traded up for a reason, trusted me and my playmaking ability. We gonna put everything together after my rehab and we’re gonna show the world,” Williams said on the show as recapped in Burke’s tweet.
That trust the Lions put in Williams, not only for his playmaking but after his injury, speaks volumes. It can be a very important variable for players, so it’s clear that Williams likes the fit and the place he landed. A big reason is the fact that Holmes showed him that quick confidence.
Williams Called Top Player Within 2022 Draft
Detroit should be happy to have Williams in the mix themselves, as he is one of the best players in the draft easily. NFL analyst and former quarterback Chris Simms quickly exploded about the news that the Lions had come up for Williams with a big trade. Simms is a clear believer in Williams, and said that he believes he represents one of the best players in the draft and a top-six stud.
Jameson Williams! My man. The only one on the board right now worth a 20 pick trade up.
My #1 WR, one of the 5 or 6 best players in this draft. 3 🚀🚀🚀 up his ass. And you can tell he’s pissed the 2 OSU guys went ahead of him.
@Lions are winning this draft, @FareedNBCS!
“Jameson Williams! My man. The only one on the board right now worth a 20 pick trade up. My #1 WR, one of the 5 or 6 best players in this draft. 3 rockets up his a**. And you can tell he’s pissed the 2 OSU guys went ahead of him. Lions are winning this draft,” Simms tweeted.
As Simms explained, Williams may have been the only players worthy of such a massive trade up given what he can do for the team. His speed and abilities will give the Lions a major weapon for the future that can take the top off a defense and give the Lions the big play abilities they were lacking in 2021.
For that reason, Williams is going to be a big piece for Detroit. He’ll be a feature piece and have a chance to turn the team’s offense around himself. For a young player, what could be better?
READ NEXT: Cris Collinsworth Anoints Jameson Williams a Top Wideout