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Jameson Williams 'looking forward' to being a Detroit Lion

Published May. 6, 2022 9:03 p.m. ET

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Detroit Lions first-round pick Jameson Williams is setting the record straight — he is excited to be a Lion.

"I’m looking forward to it, for real," Williams said Thursday, via The Athletic’s Chris Burke. "They traded up for a reason, trusted me and my play-making ability."

Williams made his way through his first media sessions on draft night a little worn down, leading some to believe that he wasn’t happy to have landed with Detroit.

He laughed at the idea when Burke asked on "Complex Sports Live" on Spotify Thursday evening.

"I was just tired a little bit. I had to kick it the night before — it was a lifetime experience," Williams replied. 

The last time Williams appeared in a football game, he was limping off with a torn ACL during the College Football Playoff National Championship. The injury prevented him from participating in any pre-draft workouts, but that didn’t stop the Lions from trading up 20 spots to take him at No. 12 overall.

With only two plays for 50-plus yards last season, Detroit desperately needed help at receiver. Detroit general manager Brad Holmes couldn't believe Williams fell out of the top 10 which is why he pounced at the opportunity to move up and draft a potential game-changer.

"When we saw how it was unfolding, and we saw there was a chance to possibly acquire Jameson, we were pretty set on going up and getting him," Holmes told ESPN. "And again, it wasn’t going up to get a wide receiver, it was going up to get him. That’s not saying anything about the quarterbacks or anything like that, it was just the fact that Jameson was available. We felt good about going up to get him."

In 2021, his only season at Alabama, he caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and led the Southeastern Conference with 15 touchdowns.

Williams says he is ahead of schedule with is recovery and hopes to be on the field for training camp fully healthy. However, Holmes is going to make sure he doesn’t rush his return.

"We have to do our part to make sure he's set up for success. We need to develop him," Holmes said. "He's got to get healthy. But we do think we've got the right resources and structure in place."

Barring any setbacks, Williams will have to prove himself on the field but for now, Detroit will have to trust what he says.

"We gonna put everything together after my rehab," Williams said. "And we’re gonna show the world."

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