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Allen Park, Michigan — The football went wherever he went, tucked tight under his arm. As he recovered from his torn ACL, he took it to the wide receiver drill he was unable to attend. Lions rookie Jameson Williams could always be seen with a football in his hand. He was a competitor and this was his way of staying connected.

But now that he’s fit and active and has a month of playing experience, when can we see more of him picking up football on Sunday?

“It’s patience,” Williams said Thursday. “You can’t rush everything. (There is) a plan and everything. Patience.”

The Lions invested heavily in Williams this past April, trading him up and making him the 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft. They knew he needed time to get back up after suffering a torn ACL in January, and they did it with patience in mind. I was. The Lions coaching staff was patient with him. He missed the first 11 games of the season. Week after week it felt like he qualified to come back and coach Dan Campbell posed questions about his young receiver status. He finally made his debut in Week 13 against the Jaguars. Since then, albeit in small amounts, Williams has taped all the traits enough to lure Lyons into catching him.

Jameson Williams’ first catch of his career was a touchdown. 👏 @bigsgjamo

📺: #MINvsDET at FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/RvZfbqafel pic.twitter.com/UxgqBFfI4g

—NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2022

After the Vikings’ game, quarterback Jared Goff said, “I was so shocked at how open he was.” It looked like I kicked him, but he caught it. A touchdown nonetheless.

“It felt good,” Williams said. “It was my first catch in the NFL.

That was Long time no see. In fact, it’s been about 11 months since the day he tore his ACL. Training During his camp, his coach would often talk about needing to shake him up a bit because it’s his nature to want everything done quickly. In October, he posted a clip of himself running the route on his Instagram and was clearly desperate for his return. Even in his NFL debut, Williams was ready to line up with Gunner, knowing that his offensive snap would be somewhat limited if the team needed him. Wired, and in that sense, he’s very Campbellian. When he finally finds his footing in this league, it should do well in the Lions’ locker room. Williams and other recipients There is already mutual respect between

“The excitement we’re feeling, the excitement you’re feeling, is real,” DJ Chark said of Williams earlier this month. “I definitely believe he’s a superstar, so whatever I can do to help a guy like that, I’m here. And he knows it. … He practiced This is a big step trust me I understand As soon as he hits the field it will be great for all of us We will all benefit from that He has a bright future and hopefully everything is here.”

When asked about watching Chark and Amon La St. Brown, Williams said, “I’ve learned a lot from people like them.” I used to watch them like fall camp, even before that, how they train, how they do things, just take certain things out of it and add them to the game. That’s the kind of player I’ve found, and I’m trying to add it to my game.”

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It’s natural for young players to want to contribute and prove themselves. Williams was and still is a competitor. He moved from a crowded Ohio wide receiver room featuring Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jackson-Smith-Nigba believing he could contribute more. He then had a Biletnikov-class season with Tuscaloosa, where he had 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. He has never doubted himself and he is now eager to show why he belongs in the NFL.

His snaps are limited, going 8, 13, 13 and 11 in four games, but Williams’ presence has influenced how the team defends the Lions. The defensive coordinator must consider his innate ability to take top positions from units.He ran only a handful of routes against the Jaguars, but Jacksonville clearly respected the speed he brought to the table, sometimes offering help over the top. made the bold choice width Opened on a downfield target that resulted in his first career catch and touchdown, going 41 yards. And against one of the better defenses in the league, the Jets, Williams took a few steps to cornerback DJ Reed in what could have been a touchdown if not for an underthrowing ball from Goff. I was. It’s probably a timing issue still in development.

Anyway, the best way to develop it is field experience. Williams simply needs more of it. His elite hallmark speed is enough to warrant even more, despite navigating life in the NFL.

“Yeah, get him more rep,” Campbell said Monday. “We will get him more reps.”

Among players with at least five targets this season, Williams ranks fifth in the NFL with 22.0 air yards per target, according to TruMedia. It’s a very small sample, admittedly, but it paints a picture of what he can do. And why it’s wise to involve him more.

Williams made nine pass plays against the Panthers on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. I just didn’t receive it. The Lions want their shiny new toys to be more involved, but without sacrificing the flow of the game. is.

“He’s a great player and a guy who can change the offense. If you can get him the ball, that definitely helps us,” Goff said. “But that’s never what we want to force. Not a thing.We want him to get the ball in the same way that DJ Chark and Josh Reynolds and St. Brown and everybody want to get the ball.But , yeah, as his progress grows as a player, it grows in our offense and I think he’s coming soon.”

“We try to work with all the playmakers,” Johnson said. I think I’ve shown you that St Brown has been the most consistent player all season and if we don’t get his hands on him we’re going to get a lot of criticism. Really good players I mean there’s a lot of talent scattered around.Every week the players play to the game plan it’s just a matter of the situation, the defense can get it to the primary receiver. So no, I don’t think they’re pressuring anyone to shove the ball in. We’re going to keep doing what we’ve been doing and that means he’ll get a 100-yard game this week. If you do, that’s great.

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As Williams’ rookie season comes to an end, expect his workload to continue to grow. The Lions (7-8) are regulars with his two games left of his season. Sunday’s game against the Bears and Week 18 against Green Bay. years to come. They know what type of player he is and this year has always been about him setting things up for a bigger role in 2023.

Williams’ competitors, deep down, want to contribute. In the meantime, though, that doesn’t stop him from spending the last few weeks of his rookie season.

“It’s been good,” Williams said with a smile when asked about the year as a whole. But I can say that this experience has been great for me.It’s my first season and I’ve been looking forward to it.It’s almost the end of the year.I had a great time.”

(Photo: Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)

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