Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew reveals what will make Jameson Williams special

Jameson Williams teased his potential late in his rookie season, and Lions assistant general manager Ray Agnew sees more of what will make the young receiver special.

In what was going to be limited action late in his rookie as he came back from a torn ACL in his final college game, the full version of Jameson Williams was never seen this season. But he did flash his massive potential, with a 41-yard touchdown on his first career catch and a 40-yard run in Week 17. Of course those were his only two touches, on a total of 78 offensive snaps over six games.

More is naturally going to be expected from Williams as he moves toward his second season, and it’s almost too easy to tab him as a 2023 breakout candidate. His role will be more substantial next season, with a healthy offseason to get fully indoctrinated into the Lions’ offense.

At the Senior Bowl this past week, Tim Twentyman of Lions.com talked to assistant general manager Ray Agnew on the “Twentyman in the Huddle” podcast. Twentyman asked what sets Williams apart, beyond his playmaking ability.

Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew sees star-making intangibles in Jameson Williams

Via Heavy.com, here’s what Agnew had to say about Williams.

"You get the athletic ability, what he can do, run and all that. Everybody can see that. That kid’s got some stuff in him that ain’t a lot of receivers got. He’s, you know, the big term ‘dog’ like (Amon-Ra) St. Brown. They just got that innate toughness in them. His ability, it is what it is. Everybody can see that. I think it’s that extra stuff that he has that’s going to make him special,”"

Agnew suggesting Williams has the “dog” mentality like Amon-Ra St. Brown is certainly something. St. Brown, of course, can recite the names of all 16 wide receivers who were taken before him in the 2021 draft and carries that motivational chip on his shoulder to positive impact.

Then again, Williams willingly played on kick coverage in college and is clearly cut from a different cloth. So maybe there’s something to the “extra stuff” Agnew sees that makes him special, and thus will make him an NFL star in short order.