There has been something noticeably different about wide receiver Jameson Williams at the start of his third training camp with the Detroit Lions. There's a confidence about him that far exceeds what we saw his first two seasons in the league.
Maybe it's because for the first time he doesn't have an injury or a suspension hanging over his head to begin camp. He also knows he's going to be a big part of this offense in 2024 after coming on really strong to end last season.
"In the offseason in OTAs I came back on a mission," Williams said after practice Monday. "My mission was just to be the best player I could be and get back to where I was before the injury. That was just my goal. I wanted to come out here and just be explosive and be a big part of the team."
The Lions moved up from 32 to 12 in the 2022 NFL Draft to select Williams after he hauled in an Alabama single-season record four touchdowns of 70-plus yards and totaled 11 touchdowns of 30-plus yards as a junior.
He's shown over his first couple seasons he can be one of the most explosive players in the league and he's going to have an opportunity to showcase that a lot more in his third season as the No. 2 option at receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. The Lions are expecting big things from their best big-play threat.
"This is the most confident that I've seen him since he's been here," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Williams. "He came in with the right mindset when we started this offseason and that has not waned one bit. He's in a good place and he's taken the coaching, he's trying to work on it, he's improving and he's making plays, so we like where he's at mentally and emotionally."
Williams has been a crowd favorite early in camp, and just three plays into the first team period of the first practice last week he caught a 70-yard touchdown from quarterback Jared Goff. He's been good through the first five practices to start camp. A breakout season for him, with all the other weapons the Lions have on offense, could take this unit to new heights. His coaches and his teammates on offense know that.
"I feel explosive. I feel like I'm making plays. I feel like I'm just out there with the energy bringing the team up," Williams said. "I'm energizing the team every day. That's just my goal to bring the energy to the team.
"I'm really excited, man. We have a game coming up in a month or so and I'm just ready to go out there and showcase as a team what we can do and what we've been working on every day."
CATCHING COACH'S EYE
There's competition up and down the Lions roster at a number of spots for starting jobs, playing roles and roster spots. One of those is at receiver. Who will end up rounding out that room after St. Brown, Williams and Kalif Raymond?
One player who's made an early impression on Campbell is fourth-year wide receiver Daurice Fountain.
"Fountain was one of those guys that, when we got him here last year, practice squad, by the end of the year, he was one of those where you were like, 'Man, this guy improved.' Like you could see it in practice, you could feel it, and man, he works, gosh he's a worker," Campbell said.
"He's one of those guys that – yeah, he's caught our eye, he's caught my eye, like I see him, and I told him that yesterday, he is making plays. We like where he's at, he's caught our eye."
A former fifth-round pick by the Indianapolis Colts out of Northern Iowa, Fountain spent two seasons with the Colts, one in Kansas City and a practice squad stint in Chicago before signing to Detroit's practice squad last season and spending the entire year there.
Fountain has good size at 6-foot-2, 210 pounds and is making a case so far in camp both offensively and on special teams for one of the final spots at receiver.
RAGNOW FEELING GREAT
All-Pro center Frank Ragnow has been a full participant in every practice so far to begin camp. That's good news for the Lions as they try to get new right guard Kevin Zeitler up to speed playing next to Ragnow.
It was a tough 2023 season for Ragnow from an injury perspective. He battled through knee and ankle injuries during the playoffs, but still managed to play every offensive snap. Along with those knee and ankle injuries, Ragnow played through a toe issue that can't be fixed by surgery. He's been dealing with that injury going on three years now, and he was also listed on the practice report last year with a back injury.
"Knock on wood, I'm feeling pretty good," Ragnow said Monday. "Taking her one day at a time, one thing at a time, but I'm feeling good."
Ragnow hates not being out at practice but coaches have been good about giving him days off to keep him fresh for the season. The fact that he's been a full participant for every practice so far says a lot about how he is feeling physically to begin camp.
PADDED EVALUATIONS BEGIN
Training camp started for real Monday with the players putting on pads for the first time.
"This is where guys begin to separate themselves," Campbell said before practice Monday. "You kind of feel like between spring and the first four days without pads you're beginning to put guys where you feel like they belong in that somewhat depth chart to get you to pads. And so, now we're about to find out, 'Is that real or not?' And guys are going to separate themselves."
Campbell said he was looking forward to watching the defensive backs the first day in pads. Currently, there's good competition at the nickel spot where run fits are such a big component of that position and will play a big factor in determining who wins that starting spot. Campbell also wants to see how physical his new outside cornerbacks can be at the line of scrimmage and supporting the run.
"We've been able to see some of the cover ability out of them, but what you don't get is, when David Montgomery is bearing down on you and he hits the edge and you're going to tackle him," Campbell said. "Are you going to be able to slow him down until the cavalry gets there?"
Campbell also mentioned the competition at running back behind Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs and really being able to evaluate that competition now that the pads are on.
"We have a number of positions here where we're going to find a lot out," he said.
