Defensive end Aidan Hutchinson turned in one of the best rookie seasons in the NFL after the Lions selected him with the second overall pick last April, but the team didn’t get as much out of their other first-round pick.
Wide receiver Jameson Williams’ recovery from a torn ACL limited him to six games during the 2022 season and he only had two touches in those games. Those touches were enough to whet appetites for what’s to come in Detroit, however.
Williams had a 40-yard run and a 41-yard touchdown catch during his limited time on the field. During an appearance on the Green Light podcast, Hutchinson recalled the reaction he and his teammates had to seeing Williams in action.
“I mean it happened right as he scored that touchdown,” Hutchinson said, via SI.com. “We’re all sitting there on the sideline, because we know how fast he is. And I mean, he was still not 100 percent coming off that knee. I mean, those those guys are not 100 percent until a year and a half after. We were all sitting there on the sideline just stargazing and really excited about next year.”
The prospect of Williams being at full strength for an entire season is one of many reasons why Hutchinson and the rest of the Lions have plenty of company when it comes to being excited about what’s to come in 2023.