Lions' Rookie Report Card: Jameson Williams Slow to Warm Up
The rookie grades are in for the Detroit Lions' Week 15 matchup with the New York Jets.
In the contest, EDGE defender Aidan Hutchinson was the star of the Lions' 2022 rookie class, and continued to show why he should've been the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.
Here are the Week 15 grades for Detroit's rookies.
WR Jameson Williams: C-
For the second time in three weeks, Jared Goff and Williams failed to connect.
On his lone target of the game, Williams, showing off his immense speed, blew past his defender and Jets cornerback D.J. Reed. However, Goff significantly underthrew the former Alabama wideout, on what was a shot to the end zone.
It'd be nice to see the veteran signal-caller and Williams get their timing down in the final three weeks of the 2022 regular season. If the two did, it would only add to Detroit's already high-functioning offensive unit.
EDGE Aidan Hutchinson: A
Are we sure Hutchinson is only a rookie?
For the second straight week, the 2022 No. 2 overall pick was the Lions' highest-graded defender and player, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished with a PFF overall mark of 83.4, which just beat out Amon-Ra St. Brown's grade of 82.7.
The former Michigan EDGE totaled five tackles, including a tackle for loss, in the Week 15 tilt, en route to earning the highest PFF run grade of his career (81.0).
Additionally, Hutchinson has recorded a PFF grade of 89.5 since Week 11, the fourth-best mark among all EDGE defenders in that span.
The Dearborn Divine Child product's performance on Sunday was further validation of the fact that the Lions made the right decision in selecting him at No. 2 overall.
Daniel Bartel, USA TODAY Sports
EDGE James Houston: A-
Four career NFL games played. Five total sacks.
In totaling his fifth career sack on Sunday, the 2022 sixth-round pick became the third rookie, since sacks were created in 1982, to record a sack in each of his first four career games.
Since 2000, there also hasn't been a single player who has produced more sacks than Houston to start their NFL career (in four games).
Additionally, Houston amassed a career-best three QB hits in Detroit's Week 15 contest with the Jets.
Fair to say, Lions general manager Brad Holmes found a late-round gem when he drafted the Jackson State product.
LB Malcolm Rodriguez: B
The Oklahoma State product didn't exactly light up the stat sheet in Week 15, finishing with just two total tackles. However, he did earn an impressive PFF grade of 70.0 for his efforts. It was the fifth-best grade among Lions defenders for the week.
Additionally, over the last month (Weeks 12-15), Rodriguez has recorded an 81.9 overall grade, per PFF. It ranks as the sixth-highest grade among all NFL linebackers in that span of time.
There's no denying the fact that so far, "Rodrigo" has produced a solid rookie campaign.
EDGE Josh Paschal: D-
The second-rounder produced an underwhelming performance in Week 15. He played in a season-low 14 total defensive snaps, and didn't record a single tackle.
Since returning from injury in Week 13, the Kentucky product has been on a downward trend. Hopefully, the Lions are able to get him right before season's end.
S Kerby Joseph: C-
Joseph had a disappointing day on Sunday.
He was part of a Detroit secondary that struggled defending Jets pass-catchers. And, for his efforts, Joseph finished with a dismal PFF grade of 53.6.
Here's to hoping that Joseph and the rest of the Lions' defensive backs bounce back in Week 16 against Sam Darnold and the Carolina Panthers.
TE James Mitchell: C-
On Sunday, Mitchell recorded his first catch since Week 12 (against Buffalo), plus his first two-catch day since Week 9 (against Green Bay).
It was nice to see the Virginia Tech product get re-acclimated into the passing game. However, he still only earned a PFF grade of 51.2 for his efforts, the third-lowest grade among all Lions offensive players for the week.
Mitchell and Brock Wright, who scored the game-winning touchdown in Week 15 for Detroit, were each the recipient of two targets from Goff Sunday.
While that was an encouraging sign from Mitchell, don't expect much more from him as a pass-catcher in the coming weeks.
