As the season draws near, Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams appears poised for a breakout. Entering every season, expectations are high. At this time of year, every team is undefeated, and most press conference quotes quickly fade into background noise.
But when a coach singles out a player expected to step up, those comments tend to stick around. And now, all eyes are on Williams to live up to the Lions’ confidence in him.
Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams Expected to Enjoy a Successful Year
The organization has let Williams run up a bit of a tab. In 2023, he was suspended for four games by the league for violating gambling rules. Granted, others committed worse offenses. Then, in the 2024 playoffs, the former Alabama star caught just one pass.
Now, after a strong start to summer practices, the Lions see a more explosive, stronger version of Williams. For him, the bill has come due — and the only payment is big-time production. After posting 1,001 yards and averaging 17.3 yards per catch last season, the Lions believe they’re seeing the player they expected when they drafted him 12th overall in 2022. Head coach Dan Campbell made that clear during media availability.
“We expect him to have a huge season.” – Coach Campbell on Jameson Williams pic.twitter.com/tElG111ya1
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) May 30, 2025
“He’s had a good spring. There’s so much versatility with him. There’s so much we can do with his routes on the outside. With his speed, he’s gotten so much stronger. The ability to stop and put his foot in the ground.
“If you can run like he can run, you can stop on a dime. You talk about a hardcover. The sky’s the limit for him. He’s exactly where we want him to be right now, at this point. He’s been here. He’s grinding. He’s getting better. We expect him to have a huge season. He’s going to be one of these guys that we lean on this year.”
Backed by Campbell’s trust, Williams’ route combinations could help the Lions generate more favorable matchups no matter the down or distance. With a bigger target like Tim Patrick lining up outside, rub routes and crossers could free Williams across the field.
The ONLY WRs to: 1) put up 1,000 receiving yds 2) while also receiving UNDER 20% of their teams total targets in 2024
🪨 Nico Collins – 1,006 yds – 18.1% of team targets
🪨 Mike Evans1,004 yds
19.5% of team targets
🪨 Jameson Williams
1,001 yds
17.4% of team targets pic.twitter.com/XZoSDH0YnO
— PPRFantasyTips (@PPRFantasyTips) March 29, 2025
Pairing him with Amon-Ra St. Brown in a levels concept could also pull defenders upfield. And with better stop-and-start control, Williams has room to add hitch-and-go routes and sluggos to his toolbox.
The Lions gave Williams the space to figure things out. Now, as they aim to take the next step, he’s expected to impact the game at all three levels of the field.