The Detroit Lions just finished up their OTA schedule, and during the practices that have taken place the last few weeks, there have been some interesting talking points to emerge for the rest of the summer.
Defensively, the Lions have plenty of questions to answer with their pass rush and their backfield. Offensively, there aren't nearly as many issues to sort out minus deciding who starts where along the offensive line. One interesting spot is at wide receiver, where the entire group is looking strong.
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing has inherited a deep wideout core where Amon-Ra St. Brown is a can't miss stud. While that is the case, Jameson Williams is perhaps the most exciting, intriguing player of the bunch. This offseason has done nothing to dampen that expectation.
With training camp coming up in a month, Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer took a closer look at some fascinating camp scenarios to watch for every team in the league before the season. In Detroit, Williams is looking like a more well-rounded player within an offense that seems to suit him perfectly once again.
"One interesting twist in Detroit is new OC Drew Petzing coming in and making a real effort to meld his own system into what Ben Johnson built there before leaving after 2024. It allowed Jared Goff to get really good work in and shine through the spring, and Amon-Ra St. Brown to be featured properly, as he has been and should be. It’s also set up for Jameson Williams to take another step. Williams’s effort and engagement stood out through OTAs, the speed is what it is, and he’s become a better route runner than most guys with that sort of speed usually are. So, Detroit’s pretty excited about his trajectory."
Williams being a burner in addition to a smarter wideout in would be the perfect trajectory for Detroit. The Lions already know he has the physical gifts and is a willing blocker, but him bringing the goods mentally as a veteran would be significant to his development. Having an offense with that kind of weapon is very dangerous, and could help the Lions get back to the top of the league.
Drew Petzing believes Lions' wide receivers are strong top to bottom
On the outside, the Lions' offense looks strong to the naked eye. Going deeper, it's clear the wide receiver unit might be the best in the league top to bottom. That's because of the mindset the franchise has developed in the group, while the best players are also the hardest workers.
Petzing hasn't been with the franchise very long, but in the short time he has been calling the shots for the Lions, he has noticed that the intense engagement in the wide receiver room forces everyone else to lock-in.
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"It's a really strong unit. I think you've got a lot of different skill-sets of guys that do different things well. Especially at the top of that room, there's not much they don't do well, which is always a good problem to have. I think (Amon-Ra) St. Brown being the veteran leader in that room, the competition you feel on a daily basis and the way they go through their drills and the way they practice and the way they sit in the meeting room, I think is palpable and I think it needs to be there to bring out the best in all of us."
Already, it sounds as if the competition is bringing out the best in Williams early on. If he is able to stay healthy, he will have a fantastic season within a new offense that could look closer to the ones he succeeded in earlier in his career.
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