Lions still pretending Jameson Williams something he's not

Back during the 2022 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings made a trade in the opening round that resulted in the Detroit Lions acquiring the 12th overall selection. With that pick, the Lions went ahead and added former Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams.

At first, Vikings fans couldn't understand why the team decided to agree to a trade that helped a division rival add another piece to their offense. But in the years since, it's become more clear why Minnesota was okay with the trade that allowed the Lions to draft Williams.

In 21 games with Detroit during the last two seasons (including the playoffs), the young wide receiver has caught a total of 29 passes for 474 yards and four touchdowns. To put this in perspective, Brandon Powell finished with 29 catches in 17 appearances with the Vikings last year as the fourth receiver on the team's depth chart.

Detroit Lions attempting to make Minnesota Vikings and others worry about Jameson Williams in 2024

Despite Williams' struggles during his first two seasons in the NFL, the Lions are apparently still optimistic about their young receiver. However, some might prefer to classify the team's feelings more as delusion than optimism.

On Thursday, Detroit head coach Dan Campbell shared that Williams has been the most improved player on the team's roster during the Lions' offseason workouts this spring. When asked to specify the areas in which the wide receiver has made improvements, Campbell kept it simple with his answer and just responded with "everything."

What does this mean for Williams heading into his third season with Detroit? Well, not a whole lot until he's on the field and making plays in an actual meaningful game.

The Lions can do whatever they want to pump up Williams' confidence before the 2024 campaign. But for a wide receiver who has a career catch rate of 49 percent, he still has plenty to prove before opposing teams are going to be concerned with stopping him.

Does Williams still have the potential to live up to the expectations he was given after being drafted with a first-round pick? Sure, but until he does, there's no reason for the Vikings, or any other team in the NFL, to lose sleep at night over defending him out on the field.

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