Arguably the most polarizing player on the Detroit Lions roster since the departure of Matthew Stafford is second-year wide receiver Jameson Williams. Being selected 12th overall in the NFL Draft comes with high expectations, regardless of being drafted while you were rehabbing a torn ACL, as Williams was.
Williams detractors highlight his drops, his suspension for gambling, and the overall lack of production and usage. However, the speedster is starting see the field more, as he has logged career-high’s with 34 offensive snaps in back-to-back weeks. “He feels like he’s part of the team, he’s one of the guys. He’s putting in a good days work,” Dan Campbell told the media during Wednesday’s press conference about Williams continued improvement.
Williams appeared to have his second touchdown of the season in Week 10’s 41-38 win over the Los Angeles Chargers, until Taylor Decker was flagged for a questionable low block penalty. Ultimately, if the touchdown stood, the key takeaway from that game would be the block that allowed David Montgomery to score on a 75-yard run. “He’s never been shy about hitting someone [in the run game] Campbell said on Monday of Williams block.
The entire Detroit Lions WR room is ALL GRIT. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty.
This wasn’t the first time we’ve seen Jameson Williams with a huge downfield block, and won’t be the last. 😤#OnePride pic.twitter.com/DEQcwxUAfV
— Detroit Lions on Tap (@LionsOnTap) November 13, 2023
“The more he earns his stripes here, the more opportunities he gets. Any time he makes a block like he does, he runs the routes he runs, he makes some catches, you gain the trust of the guys around you, and it just keeps going and going,” Campbell stated on Williams uptick in both trust, and snap counts.
His comfort level and confidence level is going up.
“He’s in a good place right now. He’s improving. It’s a good thing, man. We’re proud of the way he went after it the other day,” Campbell said as he closed out his press conference.
As the Lions prep for a divisional matchup with the Chicago Bears on Sunday, it will be interesting to see what the gameplay for the 24th ranked coverage defense will be, and if Williams will once again eclipse his career-high in snap counts.