Campbell: Jameson Williams Will 'Push' to Be Full-Time Starter

Jameson Williams showed growth in 2023.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams showed plenty of potential in flashes during the 2023 season. 

The second-year Alabama product dealt with adversity early in the season with a four-game suspension, but wound up making an impact at key points throughout the campaign. 

He finished the regular season with 24 catches for 395 yards and two touchdowns and had at least two catches in each of the Lions' three postseason games. In particular, he had his first multi-score game in the NFC Championship game. 

One of those scores was an electrifying 42-yard run on an end-around early in the game. 

Now, heading into the 2024 season, the speedy wideout could take another step forward by becoming a full-time starter on the offense. 

During coach Dan Campbell's media availability at the NFL Scouting Combine Tuesday, he admitted that the second-year wideout took strides forward when he returned from his gambling suspension. 

"He progressed and when he was able to come back off, when got him week four of the season after he had the suspension, all we asked of him was growth," Campbell said. "Just get better, just get a little bit better and just become one of the guys, somebody that we can rely on in this offense. Just do your job and that's exactly what he did. And you can see, by the end of the year, we really felt like he started to come into his own. He is gonna push to be a full-time starter now. And that's what we're looking for."

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In his rookie season, Williams was limited to just six games after rehabbing a torn ACL suffered in college. That, paired with the suspension, has limited his availability early in the year. 

However, he was able to bank consistent reps throughout the majority of the 2023 campaign. With encouraging progress being shown, there are high expectations for the Alabama product in 2024. 

"We've said it before, everyone grows at a different rate and maybe it's taken him a little bit longer," Campbell explained. "But he is developing and he is growing and he is certainly one of the team. The kid's come on. So we've got high hopes for him, we see him continuing to grow. As long as he gets back and puts the work in like we believe he will, cause he's shown that, he's only gonna get better and better and better."