The 2025 season is shaping up to be a big one for Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. The 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft is coming off a breakout season, catching 58 passes for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. But with several big name players seeking new deals, the Alabama product has gotten lost in the shuffle.
It creates a massive opportunity for Williams to force himself into Detroit’s long-term plans next season. And if a tease from one of the Lions’ coaches is foreshadowing anything, it’s that Williams’s offseason could change everything for the Lions once they hit the field.
Lions Coach ‘Really, Really Satisfied’ With Jameson Williams Entering OTAs
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News spoke to Lions receiver coach Scottie Montgomery on Tuesday and he had plenty of positive things to say about Williams. While Williams returned to the facility before Montgomery did after the end of last season, he also said that he’s seen massive improvements in his football IQ and communication and the next step for Willimas is “consistently being at his best.”
“[I’m] really, really satisfied with where he is right now,” Montgomery said.
#Lions WR coach Scottie Montgomery says Jameson Williams returned to the facility before Montgomery even did.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) May 13, 2025
"Really, really satisfied with where he is right now."
Football IQ, communication has all seen massive improvements.
This should be music to the ears of Lions fans. Detroit traded up 20 spots to take Williams in the first round of the 2022 draft and it was a risky move after he tore his ACL during the College Football Playoff the previous January. His rookie season was essentially a redshirt year but his lone catch was a 41-yard touchdown against the team that traded out of the draft spot, the Minnesota Vikings.
Williams’s second year had some struggles as he caught 24 passes for 354 yards and two touchdowns. But he became a legitimate threat in Ben Johnson’s high-octane offense last season and is looking for an encore this season.
The emergence brings up several questions about Williams’s long-term future. Another big year would put the 24-year-old in line for a big extension but the Lions have other deals to hand out to Aidan Hutchinson, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta in upcoming seasons. Detroit also exercised Williams’s fifth-year option during last month’s draft, giving them extra time to make a decision.
Some have seen Williams as a future trade chip considering the Lions already have one-highly paid receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown. But if Williams blows up, he could force Detroit to make him the next well-compensated cornerstone.
It’s something the Lions have shown a willingness to do with St. Brown, Kerby Joseph and Penei Sewell signing long-term deals the past couple of seasons. If Williams plays his cards right, he could be the next in line.