Ranking the Detroit Lions' last 10 first-round picks

8. Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama: No. 12 overall, 2022

Holmes made a bold move up in the 2022 draft, from No. 32 to No. 12, to get Williams despite the fact he was coming off a torn ACL playing for Alabama in the national championship game.

Working his way back from that injury naturally limited Williams' impact as a rookie, with two touches over six games. What ultimately became a four-game gambling suspension started his second season off on the wrong foot, and he clearly had a lot of work to do to be a reliable player.

But something clicked for Williams down the stretch last season. He earned more snaps, his issue with drops went away and his route running looked crisper (not to mention running more diverse routes).

Williams is lined up for a breakout campaign in 2024, and the Lions expect him to improve further. His low place on this list is because we need to see what he did last year over a full season.

7. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa: No. 18 overall, 2023

The Lions drew ire from the positional value truthers for the second time in as many first-round picks in the 2023 draft by taking Campbell 18th overall. He went on to play every game as a rookie, starting 14 of 20 counting the playoffs. He finished second on the team in tackles during the regular season (95), and earned down-ballot votes for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Campbell has work to do to become a good cover man in the NFL (35.3 Pro Football Focus coverage grade last season), but he is a stout run defender (75.8 PFF run defense grade, No. 20 among linebackers last year and flashed ability as a pass rusher during his rookie season. A year of experience under his belt will only help.

Campbell could easily be far higher on a list like this down the road. But right now, he's No. 7 with that chance to rise.