Film Review: What Isaiah Williams Brings to Lions' Offense, Special Teams

Williams can be big contributor for Lions on offense, special teams.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaiah Williams. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Detroit Lions elected to hold on to undrafted free agent rookie wide receiver Isaiah Williams through the final round of cuts.

The Illinois product was viewed as a favorite to make the team amongst the crop of UDFAs because of the hefty guaranteed amount of his contract. However, he rightfully earned his spot on the final roster because of the playmaking ability he showed in the team's three preseason games.

While Williams may not play a large role right away, there is potential for him to be an impact player within Ben Johnson's offensive scheme.

Here's a look at how Williams could help the Lions in a variety of ways as a rookie in 2024.

Receiving ability

Williams is primarily a slot receiver and didn't get much to show on the outside throughout the preseason. However, he was the team's leader in both receptions and yards in the preseason and flashed the ability to be a dynamic receiver.

Where he did most of his work was in the middle of the field. In this first clip, the Steelers are in man coverage with safety help over the top and Williams is in the left slot. With the outside receiver running a clearout route, the middle of the field is wide open.

Williams displays his fleet footwork, which is a common theme throughout this review, and disrupts the rhythm of the defender. He stops and starts on a dime, which creates enough separation for him to make the catch.

Once he hauls it in, he has created enough room between himself and the defender to get some yardage after the catch. With the safeties getting depth to help on the deep routes, Williams can simply own the middle of the field.

The Lions have receivers who already fit this mold in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond. However, St. Brown is a threat at all levels of the defense and Raymond may not be asked to play a huge role on offense with his status as the team's primary return man.

As a result, some opportunities could come available for Williams in the slot. He could fit nicely next to Jameson Williams, who is likely to specialize in these same deep routes seen above by Kaden Davis the receiver lined up next to Isaiah Williams.

This same concept can be seen one week earlier against the Kansas City Chiefs. The outside receiver runs a fade route and Williams takes over the middle of the field. He sells the stop route, then gets out of the route and takes advantage of the space created by the safeties dropping deep.

Williams also shows off some shiftiness after the catch, making two defenders miss before going down after a modest gain.

Gadget potential

Even if there aren't as many targets available for Williams to make a big impact in the passing game, plays like the one below can be a way for Detroit to get the ball in his hands.

This is a jet-sweep concept designed to get Williams the ball while he's moving at full speed. While it can be tough to block if the defense is aligned correctly, it's a way for him to put pressure on the edge of the defense with his speed.

Here, he does a nice job reading his block and cuts upfield rather than stretching the play toward the sideline. Once he plants and gets upfield, he makes one defender miss with an arm-tackle attempt, then spins off another. He runs for a first down, displaying elusiveness in the process.

Return impact

If the Lions elect to utilize Raymond more on the offensive side of the ball, Williams is more than capable of taking the reins in the return game.

He's a candidate to line up with Raymond within the NFL's new kick return rules, which calls for two deep return men. In the preseason, Williams attempted three kick returns and gained a total of 93 yards.

Take this attempt against Pittsburgh into account. He does an excellent job of navigating the blocks. A crease opens on the right side and he wastes no time shooting towards it. The Illinois product then maneuvers toward the outside and nearly finds a lane through the chaos, but is unable to evade the defender coming from his right side.

Williams is also capable of being a contributor on punt returns as well. He averaged 11.8 yards on six punt returns in the preseason. Though this return against the Steelers was shortened because of a holding penalty, it offers a good look at what he can do in open space.

For starters, he showcases his excellent feet once again by evading the first defender. After all, the key to a big return is making the first guy miss and allowing your coverage team time to set up the blocks.

Once he makes the first player miss, he cuts toward the sideline in an attempt to run around the wall that Detroit is setting up in that direction. A member of the Lions' return unit misses a block and the defender cuts Williams off, but he uses a nice jump cut to stay on his feet.

Yet, that jump cut takes him right into another defender who takes him to the ground.

Ultimately, the Lions should feel good about what Williams offers. He doesn't have the big frame that the team lacks right now, but he has the ability to do a number of things well for the team and can be an asset as the team looks to once again perform at an elite level offensively.