Getty Laveranues Coles while playing for the Jets in 2007.
When Detroit Lions wideout Jameson Williams was selected with pick 12 a few weeks back, folks immediately reacted with excitement because of what the electrifying pass catcher could bring to the mix.
Reality has begun to sink in, and as the tape is considered, it’s clear the Lions have themselves a bonafide game changer for the roster. A pair of former New York Jets in cornerback Kyle Wilson and wideout Laveranues Coles would no doubt agree with that take.
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Joining a video from The 33rd Team, Wilson, a former first-round pick of the Jets and Coles, a former Pro Bowler for the team in 2003, sat down and scouted Williams on film. What they found was a player that didn’t have many weaknesses and can impact the game in a variety of dramatic ways. Coles seemed to be the most impressed as a former receiver.
Lions WR Jameson Williams scouted by former Jets 1st rd pick CB Kyle Wilson
“Clear-cut game-changer. My boy, he’s number one if I was picking. I don’t get to make those decisions. Just based on what I looked at on film. I know he has an injury looming. My opinion, I don’t think he should have dropped because he’s the baddest one out there,” Coles said.
As the duo go on to watch tape, it’s clear that Wilson seems to know Williams is trouble on the field.
“Looks like a guy you just want to get him the ball,” Wilson said while watching some highlight clips and admitting he was amazed with what he saw in most cases. “Nobody’s catching this guy.”
So how to stop Williams? As Wilson explains, it’s going to have to be some sort of specialized defense because he is indeed that good on the field.
“His worst nightmare, because of speed, is going to be cover-2, cover-2 man. Him being double covered. Some type of loaded zone. You’re going to have to find a unique long corner, someone who ran track or something, someone to disrupt the timing, because this guy is a one-on-one matchup nightmare,” Wilson says in the video.
That sounds like baddest one material, indeed.
Williams Picking up Hype Following NFL Draft
If it’s anyone who would know about the damage that Williams could do, it’s a pair of former players. It sounds as if Wilson is glad he doesn’t have to contend with trying to cover a player like Williams, and it’s very obvious as a former wide receiver that Coles knows exactly what he can do on the field and what makes him very special.
Though Williams was mostly an afterthought for many fans during the pre-draft process given the unfortunate injury that played out which cut his appearance in the College Football Playoff short, folks still understand that he might represent one of the best young players in the NFL this coming season. Analyst Cris Collinsworth already proclaimed him the best wideout in the last draft, and that’s been an opinion which has been shared by plenty of folks. NBC’s Chris Simms had the same feeling about Williams, and all of this has led folks to believe the Lions got a potential steal when they dealt up to snag Williams with pick 12.
Without the injury, it’s possible if not likely that Williams would not have been around by the time Detroit selected, so it could be a case of fortunate timing that the team was even able to end up with him in the first place. After listening to this duo speak, that’s still a major takeaway for the Lions.
Williams’ College Stats & Highlights
It might not be a stretch at all to proclaim Williams one of the top players in the NFL draft like Simms has done. 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 the kind of player who can get up and down the field and make plays, and as former players seem to understand, that will make him very dangerous as he transitions to the league.
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Pro Bowl Wideout Anoints Jameson Williams ‘Baddest One’ at WR