Lions come to defense of Jameson Williams amid training camp struggles

The Lions aren’t too worried about Jameson Williams’ future development despite what the media has been saying about the young wideout this camp.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes did a bit of PR control this week in his recent comments on Jameson Williams.

Williams, who is suspended for the first six games of the 2023 season, has attracted all kinds of negative press this summer from his sour training camp attitude to his sub-par ball skills. He even reportedly threw a punch at his teammate during one practice, and he also picked up a leg injury that saw him miss some time in camp.

It didn’t take people that long to forget about Williams’ “game-changing talent,” as Holmes puts it.

Holmes said on 97.1 The Ticket:

"“I think sometimes it’s a little more magnified when a wide receiver with that kind of talent, if he drops a ball, everybody sees it. But there’s other players that have some similar struggles, some mistakes here and there that aren’t as magnified.”"

Holmes’ defense of Williams comes just days after coach Dan Campbell told the media that Williams had to improve his catching abilities this year.

Lions GM Brad Holmes reinforces faith in Jameson Williams

Williams was drafted 12th overall in the 2022 draft in a star-studded receiving class that included the likes of OROY Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Drake London. He was able to recover from his ACL injury in time to play a handful of snaps for the Lions in his rookie year, but at that point, the Lions were still competing for a playoff spot and kept Williams on the bench in favor of more experienced, already groomed players.

Holmes is right in that the media tends to gravitate toward the mistakes of high-profile draft picks. However, the rest of his ramble is mostly just word salad. The general manager says what everyone expects him to say: player development is important to the team, Williams will get the structure, coaching, and resources, and at the end of the day, the Lions have hope for him.

Of course they do. He’s still touted to be the franchise’s next cornerstone offensive piece in the making.

Long after Jared Goff packs his bags, Williams along with Amon-Ra St. Brown should, in theory, shape Detroit’s passing attack for years to come. This year’s training camp is a blip on Williams’ career lifeline, as is his previous ACL injury and upcoming gambling suspension — a brighter future for the young and flashy wide receiver awaits.