With Josh Reynolds’ formal departure to the Denver Broncos, wide receiver has become an even more important position for the Detroit Lions. The majority of the responsibility for filling the vacuum and stepping up now falls on Jameson Williams to become the game-changer he has been envisioned to be.
Williams may never be a high-volume target in the Lions’ attack, but his speed is a game changer. Working his way back from a torn ACL in his final college game as a rookie in 2022, as well as a gambling penalty (eventually reduced to four games), he missed the start of his sophomore season.
Williams has shown glimpses of his immense potential despite those setbacks. Down the stretch last season he clearly earned the trust of the coaches, leaving behind issues with dropped passes and generally refining his game. While more snaps didn’t always yield notable production, the uptick was telling.
Jameson Williams now has a clear opportunity in front of him
Reynolds’ departure was clear to see coming based on the anticipation Williams will have a bigger role in his third season. No less an authority than head coach Dan Campbell set the expectations for Williams.
By the end of the year, we really felt like he (Williams) started to come into his own,” Campbell said, at the NFL Combine. “He’s going to be push to be a full-time starter now, and that’s what we’re looking for….As long as he gets back and puts the work in like we believe he will because he’s shown that, he’s only going to get better and better and better.”
Williams now has the clear chance to establish himself as a primary target alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown. The chemistry he started building with Jared Goff late last season should be a launching point heading into the 2024 season,
Some Lions fans may have lost faith in Jameson Williams’ ability to develop and reaffirm what propelled him to the 12th overall choice in the 2022 draft despite his damaged ACL. With Reynolds gone, he now has the opportunity to play a significant role from the start and experience the infamous “third-year breakout” that is still frequent for wide receivers.
