Getty Images Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions talks with head coach Dan Campbell.
Rookie wide receiver Jameson Williams hasn’t seen the field for the Detroit Lions in practice, and is yet to put on his new uniform. That hasn’t stopped folks from pondering what he might do on the field this year.
Williams was one of the most electric players in college football last season, and as he transitions to the NFL, the expectation is he can carry those traits over eventually.
But how soon will that happen? There hasn’t been a lot of projections for his season, but a new one was revealed from NFL.com and Daniel Jeremiah.
According to a piece by by Jeremiah, Williams could be expected to have a modest output this season.
Within the piece, Jeremiah offers a positive and a negative for rookie offensive weapons. In terms of the positive, Jeremiah describes a situation where Williams rests up, gets healthy and shows why he was a top pick this past April.
“Williams takes his time to return to full health after suffering an ACL tear in the national title game last January. That is the most important aspect of his rookie campaign. Upon his return to the field, he quickly provides a much-needed vertical element to the Lions’ passing attack. He flashes enough to get the organization enthused about his abilities heading into 2023,” Jeremiah wrote.
As a whole, Jeremiah said that while a worst case scenario involved Williams taking time to get back in the swing of things, he expects him to make plays in 2022.
“I still believe he’ll make an impact with his impressive run-after-catch tools,” he wrote.
A 550 yard, 3 touchdown season might not seem like much in terms of a projection, but it could set the table for some bigger games in the future. That’s what the Lions will be banking on.
Williams Will Start Season on NFI List
Folks hoping to see what kind of season Williams has will have to wait a while longer. The wide receiver was revealed to be starting the season on the NFI list on Tuesday, August 23.
The news was revealed by the Lions, but NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero also expanded on the report.
The #Lions are moving rookie WR Jameson Williams to the Reserve/NFI list today, per source.
This was always the plan for Williams, the first-round pick who suffered a torn ACL in January’s national championship game. The hope is he’ll be ready to play around midseason.
“The Lions are moving rookie WR Jameson Williams to the Reserve/NFI list today, per source. This was always the plan for Williams, the first-round pick who suffered a torn ACL in January’s national championship game. The hope is he’ll be ready to play around midseason,” Pelissero tweeted.
Williams will now be on the shelf until at least Week 4 of the season, and his return could be closer to the second-half or middle of the year. That could cut into some of his anticipated stats.
Williams’ College Stats & Highlights
It might not be a stretch at all to proclaim Williams one of the top players in the NFL draft, which could mean he is in line for a big career in the pros. In college, he showed a knack for speed and the big play.
A big-time transfer from Ohio State, Williams came to the Crimson Tide after 266 yards and 3 touchdowns and set the SEC on fire in 2021. Williams racked up 1,572 yards and 15 scores en route to being one of the top players in college football.
An ACL injury in the National Title game hurt Williams’ chances of being a top-five pick, but there would have been a chance if not for that. The tape shows a speedy player who has afterburners:
Williams is an explosive talent that should be able to do good things whenever he gets completely healthy. This should give fans some extra excitement about his future in the league when the time comes, no matter what stats he collects in the first year.
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Analyst Offers Modest Statistical Projection for Lions’ Top Rookie