This is an important season for Jameson Williams as he tries to take a big step toward becoming a top wide receiver in the NFL. He's off to a good start on that front.
Dan Campbell is hyping Williams' improvement, and Williams himself is talking like a mature player. Williams will also be tested in practice.
The Lions added multiple cornerbacks this offseason, and Carlton Davis comes with experience and and a Super Bowl ring from his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has wasted no time setting the tone for the defense, and he singled out matchups against Williams during last week's OTAs.
"I love going up against him. He just has so many tools in his tool box. He can beat you running fast. He can snap down. He's a threat in a lot of different ways, so when you're going up against a guy like that every day, you have no choice but to get better. "
Davis sees himself taking a lead role in making Williams better.
"Oh yeah, I'm making him better. That's what I'm here to do. I'm here to make him one of the best receivers in the league. That's my goal. Everybody who I go up against on my team, I'm going to push them, they're going to push me back. That's the competitive spirit that I've been talking about."
Jameson Williams embracing practice battles with Carlton Davis
As happy as Davis is to be challenging Williams, the wide receiver is also embracing the practice battles.
"It's good. I'm going against him every single time. It's been good work. He's real good on the press. I really haven't got any good press. Nobody likes to press, but when he presses, it's good. Real good work. Even his feet. How he plays. Everything. His patience. The whole way he plays his game, it's just good. I like going against him."
Finally, the Lions have a veteran cornerback to not only mentor their young defensive backs and challenge receivers in practice.
If Williams ends up having a big season, the daily grind going against Davis looks like it'll be a key part of that success.