DETROIT – What should the Detroit Lions actually expect from former first-round wide receiver Jameson Williams now that he’s back from suspension?
Williams’ suspension was one of the biggest stories of the offseason. After missing most of his rookie season due to a knee injury he suffered in the national championship game at Alabama, Williams also got caught violating the NFL’s gambling policy.
He was supposed to miss the first six games of 2023, but last week, the league adjusted its (hypocritical) policy and announced that Williams is eligible to play in Week 5.
Now the question is how seamlessly he can fit into the Lions’ offense.
So far, the team hasn’t needed Williams. The Lions are off to a 3-1 start and alone atop the NFC North Division. But there’s definitely room for the offense to improve, and a player with Williams’ skill set is theoretically the perfect missing piece.
The Lions have a strong offensive line, a capable quarterback, a bruising running back, a playmaking running back, a pass-catching tight end, and an elite route running receiver. It feels like the one hole in the offense is a deep threat with top-end speed.
Well, that’s exactly what the Lions had in mind when they traded up to draft Williams at No. 12 overall in 2022. He was one of the fastest players in the draft and a proven deep threat.
But a lot of time has passed since Williams last played a major role on a football team. He injured his knee on Jan. 10, 2022, and has caught one single pass in the 20 months since.
That pass went for a 41-yard touchdown, which is exactly why the Lions wanted Williams in the first place. His only run went for 40 yards. He’s an incredibly exciting player with the ball in his hands.
But it’s worth noting that in six games down the stretch last season, while the Lions were trying to get into the playoffs, Williams was targeted just nine times.
Nine targets. One catch. One rushing attempt.
Now what?
The excitement surrounding Williams stems from his undeniable talent. Even though he had trouble with drops during the preseason, Lions fans believe Williams can carve out a major role on an already solid roster.
Maybe that’s true, but I need to see it to believe it. The No. 12 overall pick usually has more than one catch in his team’s first 21 games. And being away from your teammates for several weeks and rejoining them midway through the season doesn’t help.
Roles have already been carved out. Jared Goff has rapport with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Kalif Raymond, and Josh Reynolds.
Williams isn’t just going to come in and knock one of those guys off the field because he was fast in college.
Dan Campbell seems to be thinking along the same lines. He said Williams just needs to be reliable and help the team win, whether the ball is coming his way or not.
“We’ve just got to see where he’s at with football,” Campbell said. “This’ll be his first week back, and so we’ll take it every day and see how he does. I think what we’ve done a really good job of in these four weeks is we know we are by committee. The way that we’ve had production, it’s taken all of us. That O-line’s important to us, and our skill guys stepping up. That’s from tight ends, to backs, to receivers.
“Everybody’s got a job to do, and your number will get called at a certain time, but we’re not a ‘one guy’s carrying the load.’ That’s not how we work here. Certainly, we have players that we depend on on that side of the ball that have come up big for us. You know who they are.”
Reading between the lines, Campbell doesn’t want Williams to think he’s just going to return to the huddle and lead the team in targets. He needs to prove himself to his teammates and earn a bigger role.
“He just needs to come in -- I’m not worried about him working. He will,” Campbell said. “It’s just about polishing all the little things, and we also know if he does play, he can’t play 60 plays. That’s not smart. We can’t do that to him.
“We’ll see where it goes. It’s all about improvement -- no different than the rest of the team. Every week we’ve just got to get a little bit better. He’s just got to get a little bit better, and we’ll go from there.”