Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Already one of the most explosive, big-play receivers in the NFL, Williams has another gear that has coaches and teammates excited for him to harness.
As the temperature reaches a fever pitch, so too does the anticipation for the
Detroit Lions to return to their facilities at Allen Park for training camp.
Our roster preview series continues with a look at wide receiver Jameson Williams, a former first-round pick whose first few seasons were defined as much by promise as they were by polarizing, off-the-field issues. But as he enters Year 4, Williams has flipped the narrative and the trajectory of his career—earning praise from both coaches and teammates as a key cog in Detroit’s offensive machine.
Previous previews: Sam LaPorta,
Aidan Hutchinson,
Jake Bates
Jameson Williams
Expectations heading into 2024
Entering his third season in the NFL, it was finally time for Williams to leave the past behind him. There was no ACL injury or nagging hamstring issue to keep him off the field. There was no gambling suspension to delay his contributions to the offense. For the first time in his professional career, Williams was free of any distractions that would prevent him from realizing his potential.
Even the coaching staff could sense that a breakout season was on tap for the young receiver.
“And we’re two practices in (to OTAs) and if you said, ‘Give me one player that is the most improved from that start to finish in that time,’ Jamo would be that guy right now,” Dan Campbell said in the midst of 2024’s organized team activities. “He is a man on a mission, and I’m just going to leave it at that.”
Josh Reynolds had left to sign with the
Denver Broncos, opening up both targets and opportunities in Detroit. Amon-Ra St. Brown was expecting big things out of Jamo at the start of training camp,
going so far as to say he “knew” a big year was in store for him. The runway was clear for Williams to takeoff in 2024, and he had a lot of vocal support from coaches and players alike.
Actual role in 2024
Note: Stats are regular season only unless otherwise stated
15 games (11 starts)
Stats: 58 catches on 91 targets for 1,001 yards and 7 touchdowns; 11 carries for 61 yards and one touchdown.
PFF offensive grade: 75.7 (31st out of 110 qualifying WRs—minimum 34 targets)
PFF receiving grade: 76.5 (31st out of 110)
PFF drop grade: 76.6 (38th out of 110)
PFF run blocking grade: 62.2 (t-25th out of 142 qualifying WRs—minimum 87 blocking snaps)
It didn’t take long for Jamo to deliver on the offseason hype. In Week 1 against the
Los Angeles Rams, Williams went off for (at the time) a career-high five receptions and 121 receiving yards, including a 52-yard touchdown to start the second half. Through the first five games of the season, he eclipsed his season-high for receiving yards (365) and receiving touchdowns (3), establishing himself as the big-play threat (22.8 yards per reception) he had flashed in years prior.
But then, another setback. On October 21, just a day after the Lions’ statement win over the
Minnesota Vikings, Williams was suspended two games for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances policy.
He expressed both surprise and disappointment in a personal statement published via his management team, and was adamant that he had never “taken something in an attempt to cheat or look for an unfair advantage.” Instead of appealing the suspension, Jamo chose to
“take it on the chin,” but after just a week of serving his suspension, things looked like they were about to snowball.
On October 29,
WXYZ in Detroit reported that police were investigating why Williams avoided arrest on October 8 for possession of a firearm without a concealed pistol license. Williams avoided any further charges for the incident after
a judge dismissed a request for a warrant a little over a month later, but once again, Dan Campbell was there to voice his support for his young receiver.
“For me, I judge people over what’s in their heart, and I know what this kid’s made of, and he’s worth hanging with,” Campbell said after the incident made its way to the public. “So, he’s going to learn from this, he’s going to grow, he’ll be better for all of this.”
To Williams’ credit, he put the distractions to the side for the rest of the year, returning for Week 10’s game against the
Houston Texans—catching three passes for 53 yards—and then resetting his game-high for receiving yards twice down the stretch (124 vs. Jacksonville, 143 at Chicago). For an offense that went from 27.1 points per game to 33.2, Williams was the explosive difference-maker that put the team over the top, posting 17.3 yards per reception—placing sixth among wide receivers with at least 34 targets—and the third-best mark in yards after catch per reception (8.4).
Outlook for 2025
Even with a breakout season under his belt, there’s an ardent belief from the coaching staff that Jamo is still just scratching the surface, and there’s another level the receiver can take his game to in Year 4.
“What’s next? Oh, my God, he’s got a ton of growth left,” Campbell had to say during OTAs. “And you know, he’s listening, he’s had a good spring [...] I mean, there’s so much versatility with him. There are so many things that we can do just with his routes on the outside. I mean, we can do things inside, but just with his speed, and he’s gotten so much stronger.
“His ability to stop, put his foot in the ground. Man, when you [Williams] can run like you can run [...] you can stop on a dime, I mean, you talk about a hard cover. So, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s exactly where we want him to be right now at this point, man. He’s been here, he’s grinding, he’s getting better. [...] We expect him to have a huge season. We really do, man. He’s going to be one of those guys that we’re going to lean on this year, and it is really going to be big for us. And all he’s got to do is just keep working like he’s working and we’ll be good.”
In an effort to improve his ability at getting off the line of scrimmage—a reason some were skeptical of him playing the X-receiver role—Williams focused on getting stronger physically this offseason.
“Yeah, I talked to a couple people, you know, and they told me, like, why they lift weights and what it helped them with,” Williams shared. “And the thing I took from it was to get stronger. You know, I’m a little guy, DBs like to reroute and stuff like that. So, you know, I gotta run through (and/or) across linebackers. So, you know, I just had to get my strength up a little bit.”
Beyond the improvements Williams has made physically in his game, Scottie Montgomery, the Lions' newly reassigned wide receivers coach, is impressed with the receiver’s attention to detail in meetings.
“Once I got the job, he [Williams] knew exactly what it was,” Montgomery said. “He just came up just to say hello to me because he knew what we need to get done. And then now [...] probably one of the better meetings I’ve ever seen him in a setting. It was a total offensive meeting where you talk about the communication level and the questions and the football IQ and the acumen that he was asking questions about, is what you really wanted to see, and that’s what we got to do.”
But the work isn’t done, according to Montgomery. Williams is on track, but the two will continue to take it one day at a time while he works towards putting it all together.
“Are we where we want to be? No, we’re not there,” Montgomery acknowledged. “And I’m not saying that he’s showing us something that he’s not there, but we want to take baby steps. He keeps developing the way he’s at, the way he’s doing right now, he’s going to get to a location that he really, really likes. Really, really satisfied with where he is right now, but we got a long way to go.”
It’s one thing to have earned the trust and support of your coaches, but it’s another thing to see the development in Williams’ maturity as a leader. That’s something Jared Goff, someone who has had front row seats to the growth of Williams since he arrived in Detroit, has witnessed with his own two eyes.
“He’s done a hell of a job,” Goff celebrated about Williams’ commitment to growing. “Just continue to do what he’s done, and just get more consistent—and he’s done that. He really has. He’s working hard, he’s being a leader now, which is fun to see him grow into that and show guys how he wants to do things. He’s talking to me a ton. It’s fun, man.”
