Why Has the Production of the Lions 2022 First Round Draft Pick Been So Low?
Jameson Williams’ production so far this season has been nothing short of disappointing. After the loss of offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Williams has struggled to find his place in this offense. John Morton, the new offensive coordinator for Detroit, has had trouble finding specific route trees for Williams. Jameson was once in an offense that had him on go routes and deep shots, and now he has been limited to a variety of short routes.
The timing between quarterback Jared Goff and Williams has been another story so far this season. Goff hasn’t had that full trust in his wide receiver to go to him on key downs. Although Williams was drafted in 2022, his rookie season was cut short due to injury. Taking that into account, they have only had a little over a season to work together, making it hard for Goff to trust him.
The scheme fit for Jameson has also been another thing to consider now that Johnson is no longer in control. Detroit was heavily built on precision and timing routes, not necessarily Williams’ deep-threat style. Also, the two backs in the backfield have allowed for more running plays than passing in certain situations, which hurts Williams even more. It’s hard to tell whether Williams is being used as a decoy during jet sweeps or short routes to allow for Amon-Ra St. Brown and other primary targets to get more receptions.
Between the ACL recovery and suspension, he hasn’t been able to have the full stretch of consistent playing time in Detroit. Confidence is a huge thing that impacts receivers, whether positive or negative. If Jameson isn’t getting the reps during games or even in practice, what makes him think that he’ll have the ability to play during big-time moments? Reading defenses and different coverages is something that he has been able to do well since coming into the league, and we’ve seen that with his route-running ability.
Goff has clear chemistry with St. Brown and full trust in his running backs, which could just mean that Williams is lower on the ladder. Receivers earn more targets when QBs trust them on timing and contested catches. This is something that Williams is still trying to develop. As it gets later in the season, we will see if Jameson can build up that trust with Goff or have to figure out a plan with a new quarterback.
