Detroit Lions: 15 greatest wide receivers in franchise history

Back in 2004, the Detroit Lions had the No. 7 overall pick and they were eyeing wide receiver Roy Williams out of Texas. There was some debate as to whether or not they would make the pick though as they took Charles Rogers the season prior with the No. 2 overall pick.

Even with that investment made in the position, Detroit doubled-down and took the Longhorn pass-catcher — then they went totally crazy and took USC’s Mike Williams at No. 10 in 2005. Out of the three picks, none lived up to their lofty expectations, but Roy Williams was at least not a massive bust such as Rogers and Mike Williams were.

In fact, Roy was actually a good player for the Lions, who he played for during the first five seasons of his career. As a rookie, Williams had 817 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He continued to improve and by 2006, he was a Pro Bowl receiver after recording 1,310 yards on 82 receptions with seven touchdowns.

As he neared the end of his rookie season, however, the rumors started to ramp up that the Dallas Cowboys wanted to bring him back to his home state. They finally got a deal done, landing Williams in exchange for a first, third, and sixth-round pick.

It was once he landed in Big D that Williams started to fall off. He was never the same player and despite signing a six-year, $54 million deal, he ended up playing just two and a half seasons with the Cowboys. He’s remembered mostly for failing with them, but the start of his career in Detroit was actually rather impressive.