In his first two NFL seasons, wide receiver Jameson Williams has shown flashes of the talent that made the Lions trade up in the draft to get him. But Williams’ overall production — 25 catches for 395 yards and three touchdowns — is nowhere near what is expected of a 12th overall pick through two years.
Williams says this offseason he’s committed to putting in the work necessary to become the kind of player the Lions were expecting when they drafted him.
“In the offseason, OTAs, I came back on a mission. My mission was just to be the best player I can be, get back to where I was before I was injured, and that was just my goal,” Williams said, via the Detroit News. “I wanted to be explosive, be a big part of the team. That’s been my main thing since we lost going into the next season.”
Williams missed most of his rookie season because he was recovering from a torn ACL suffered in his last college game. And he missed the start of his second season because of a gambling suspension. This year he should be able to hit the ground running in Week One.
“I feel a lot different from the past two years. Coming in, I don’t know what’s different about it, but I just feel different,” Williams said. “I can’t even tell you what’s the real reason [for] it, because I don’t really know. It’s just coming out here and having a lot of fun. I’m having a lot more fun than I was. It’s just going great for us, and me also, but really the team. I just try to come out here and be better for the team.”
A Lions team that was close to the Super Bowl last year would love to see a better version of Williams help them take the next step this year.