When the Detroit Lions traded up to nab wideout Jameson Williams in the 2022 NFL draft, it was a move that generated plenty of early praise given what a steal it could prove to be in time.
Williams is a speedy wideout who trends to become a game breaker at the next level, and the Detroit offense had a need for such a player on their anemic offense. To that end, many saw the move as an easy slam-dunk for the Lions while some others still had some reservations given his injury status entering the league.
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In an ESPN Insider piece, contributors debated some of the best and head-scratching picks. Interestingly enough, Williams fell into both categories for the Lions via the opinions of two separate analysts.
Insider Field Yates had Williams to Detroit as one of his favorite picks in the draft. Why? According to Yates, if Williams had not been hurt, he would have not made it to pick 12. Additionally, the Lions are a team that “can afford to be patient” with Williams, and “didn’t surrender future draft capital” to make the deal.
Indeed, Williams could end up making the Lions look very smart if he recovers, but that could be part of the reason that others might not be as immediately sold on his impact with Detroit.
ESPN’s Stefania Bell Didn’t Love Lions Deal for Williams
On the other side of that spectrum is ESPN reporter and insider Stephania Bell. In the same piece, Bell explains that she believes Detroit’s deal up for Williams represented a head-scratching move for her because of the fact the Lions gave up multiple picks to facilitate the move for an injured player, something which could hurt a player-needy team like Detroit’s development during the early stages of a rebuild.
As Bell wrote, “the hope is that the Lions are playing the long game and will be patient with his return-to-play status.”
On the surface, Bell’s concerns would make more sense if the Lions were ready to take the next step, but the team could well be angling to stash Williams early in 2022 with no designs of contending next year. To that end, 2023 could be the season the Lions unleash Williams, after he is fully healthy and seen as ready to go after a year of learning Detroit’s offense.
It’s possible should this be the outcome, Bell might like Detroit’s move more, as she admitted she “loves Williams and the talent he will bring to the NFL.”
Williams Sets High Early Goals for Lions’ Tenure
Whether or not anyone on the outside likes the pick, only Williams himself will be the one who determines what happens in the future during his career. In recent days, the wideout may have been generating hype in plenty of places, but early on in his post-draft introductory press conference, he was the was offering a bit of his own in a big way after being picked. Williams revealed that he wants to start winning games, winning playoff games and having fun, as Armando Salguero of Outkick tweeted.
Jameson Williams says he’s looking forward to “having fun, winning games, taking this team to the playoffs.” He is a Detroit Lion.
“Jameson Williams says he’s looking forward to “having fun, winning games, taking this team to the playoffs.” He is a Detroit Lion,” Salguero tweeted.
Speaking to the fans in a video posted by the team, Williams fueled that excitement himself by reaching out to the fans himself and sharing some motivation.
#OnePride let’s do it!
“What up Detroit it’s Jamo. Looking forward to getting down there and getting going. Man, we finna have a hell of a time man. One Pride, let’s do it,” Williams said.
Lions fans are ready to see Williams live up to this billing and hope he can get the job done in a big way quickly. They hope he can live up to Yates’ billing rather than Bell’s in the end.
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Pair of ESPN Insiders Split on Lions’ Selection of Jameson Williams