Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams will reportedly play in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Jordan Schultz.
Williams had been listed as questionable on the Lions’ injury report due to an ankle injury and was limited in practice on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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The 23-year-old receiver is coming off the best game of his young career. Against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, Williams caught five passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, averaging 24.2 yards per reception. He additionally carried the football one time for 13 yards.
The Lions are finally seeing the dynamic playmaker they drafted out of Alabama with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Williams, who caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final season of college football, has been limited through his first two seasons in the NFL.
Williams tore his ACL during the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Georgia, causing him to miss the beginning of his rookie season. Williams appeared in just six games as a rookie, catching one pass for 41 yards and rushing one time for 40 yards.
His sophomore NFL season was postponed after Williams was suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s gambling policy by gambling on a college football game during a Lions road trip. The NFL originally suspended Williams for six games but shortened his suspension to the first four games of the 2023 season.
Williams went on to appear in 12 games and start 10 during his second NFL season. His role on the offense remained somewhat limited as he caught just 24 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns during the Lions’ best season in three decades.
Through just one game in 2024, Williams has already gone for over 100 yards for the first time in his NFL career. He did so on just six total catches, demonstrating the explosive ability he brings when he touches the ball.
His explosiveness is also highlighted by his route chart against the Rams, provided by Next Gen Stats. Three of Williams’ five catches went for over 25 yards, either because of his speed getting down the field, or his ability to accumulate yards after the catch.
NFL Next Gen Stats
Williams’ speed adds another dynamic element to the Lions offense, which already has a myriad of playmakers in receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, tight end Sam LaPorta, and running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. Williams has already posted the fifth-fastest time in the NFL on a single play, reaching a speed of 21.03 miles per hour on his 36-yard catch from quarterback Jared Goff, per Next Gen Stats.
Adding another dimension to the Lions’ offense is key as Detroit looks to follow up their NFC Championship Game appearance with a run at the Super Bowl.
