Lions WR coach Antwaan Randle El notes sneaky way Jameson Williams has improved

Through two NFL seasons, the reasons Jameson Williams hasn't quite justified his first round status are well-known. Things seemed to come together down the stretch late last season though, as he earned more playing time and had some moments where he showed his potential.

The proverbial runway is clear for Williams to have a breakout season this year. Through OTAs and minicamp, he had done nothing to derail that hype train at all. Training camp will of course be the important next step, to complete the first full, uninterrupted offseason he has had.

Most football fans can point to clear ways a wide receiver can improve, in games and even without pads on during OTAs. Sharper route running. Reduce/eliminate dropped passes. Show more tenacity as blocker. Get better chemistry with the quarterback, which Jared Goff has talked about the growth of.

Antwaan Randle El points to sneaky way Jameson Williams is better

Lions' position coaches spoke to the media on Tuesday, of course including Antwaan Randle El. Williams was an obvious topic for the Lions' wide receivers coach, and Randle El joined the party to speak about how the young receiver has progressed this offseason.

"Just about everything we’ve talked about for him, improving and helping our offense, he’s hit. One of the biggest things was just his strength in terms of route-running and not getting pushed off the spot, you’ve seen that show up more and more which has benefitted us as an offense," Randle El said. can see him kind of taking it to another level and it helps him even getting out of his routes, the strength he’s built in his legs. You can see a difference.”

Reporters on the ground at OTAs, perhaps without directly realizing it, chronicled moments where Williams showed better strength (contested catches on the sideline, catches in traffic over the middle). It's not a stretch to say a lot a receiver does flows from the lower half. Pairing stronger legs with his unique speed once will make Williams a dangerous player if he can carry his all-around improvement this offseason all the way into the season.