There has not been a player hyped at Detroit Lions training camp more than fourth-year receiver Jameson Williams. Back in the spring, it seemed a little ridiculous that new offensive coordinator John Morton was predicating a breakout year for the former first-round pick
, because Williams is coming off a breakout season in which he eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his career.But as training camp has continued, we’ve seen Williams’ route tree progress far beyond what it has been,
and all of the early struggles of miscommunications and troubles with drops are long gone.
There is not better clip of Williams’ progress than the one taken from Monday’s practice. In a red zone one-on-one rep against veteran cornerback Rock Ya-Sin, Williams pulls off a deadly move that gets him plenty of cushion for the easy score.
First, he takes a second to set up the corner. Then, he fakes bolting to the back pylon for a fade, and even turns the head to sell it. Then, in an instant, he cuts on a dime and makes a beeline for the front pylon, where the ball arrives at the perfect time.
Take a look below:
ooohwee pic.twitter.com/3BJMkJH2V9
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) July 28, 2025
This is not just a one-off from Williams. He’s been flashing his improved route running all offseason.
“People looked at him as just a deep threat, but if you’ve been watching this camp, he’s ran every single route,” Lions receiver Tim Patrick said Monday. “I think most of his routes have been short routes that he’s been catching. Everybody knows what he can do in the deep game, but now he’s finding that short range and that’s going to make him impossible to stop.”
And what’s even better for Williams is that the Lions still plan on emphasizing the deep shot, as well. Morton has said he’s focused on getting his talented players in isolation more, and that means trying to break out some more explosive plays downfield.
“I’m isolating guys. I want to give them the chance, so I’m taking more shots,” Morton said. “Plus, I want to see who can do it and then make the corrections, whether it’s a technique error, something like that. I’m all about that, because we have the guys that can do it. So, if you got them, utilize them.”
As Lions safety Brian Branch knows, that means even more opportunities for Williams to make opposing defenses pay.
“Get y’all popcorn ready for Jamo, man,” Branch said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him this year. I feel like that’s exactly what he needed.”
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