Adversity can build character, and the Detroit Lions have seen a lot of personal growth from third-year wide receiver Jameson Williams this offseason and in training camp.
"I think you can see the growth, tremendous growth in this kid as a player and a person," Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew said Thursday during a joint press conference with general manager Brad Holmes.
"I think he's attacking the game the way he should attack it now, like a professional. His route running has improved, catching the ball has improved. He's an exciting kid to watch play and I'm expecting big things out of him this year and I'm sure he is too."
It hasn't been the smoothest of starts to Williams' career with most of his rookie season spent rehabbing a torn ACL suffered late in his college career and a four-game suspension to start his second season.
The Lions made a significant investment in Williams when they moved up from 32 to 12 to take him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. In 18 career games, he has 25 receptions for 395 yards with three touchdowns and one more rushing touchdown.
There is no denying Williams' speed and playmaking ability. We've seen flashes of it, but the team would like more consistency when it comes to his game. It's been exciting to see the increased frequency of his playmaking and consistency this offseason and in training camp since stepping into the No. 2 role at receiver behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.
"I'm sure you guys have talked to him already and he's told you that he had to mature a lot, and you saw that," Holmes said. "We do a lot of research and background on all of these players that we acquire, and we had a good sense of who Jamo was as a person, but we definitely felt comfortable that he was going to be a fit for us, and he's shown the growth.
"When we drafted him, we said, 'He's going to need to grow up a little bit.' And he did, so it's been right on pace."
Now the Lions are hoping to reap the benefits of that personal growth on the football field. Detroit needs Williams to step up in a big way after the loss of Josh Reynolds in free agency. Reynolds played 832 snaps last year and caught 40 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns.
Williams played nearly half as many snaps as Reynolds at 446 but is now expected to get the bulk of Reynolds' snaps and targets (64). What Williams is able to do with them will go a long way in determining just how explosive the Lions' passing attack can be in 2024.
"You can clearly tell he's put the work in and he's been working even harder," Holmes said. "It means something to him. This kid loves football. I mean he loves football, and I think it's very evident in the results that you saw this training camp that the work that he's put in.
"Obviously, you have an elite player like St. Brown, and forget the performance, but how his intangibles are and Kalif Raymond. He's got really good guys to look upon and follow. He's seen how they work, but you can see the results that's shown in camp."
