Earlier on Friday, the Detriot Lions made Jameson Williams their first-round pick. Here are 5 things you should know about the 21-year-old wide receiver.
On the first day of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions managed to grab a surprise draft-night trade with the Minnesota Vikings. The Lions made wide receiver Jameson Williams their latest addition to the roster.
The 6 foot 2, 189-pound athlete was the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Now, with the stars set to align for Williams, here are 5 things you should know about the Lions’ star.
Williams wasn’t always at Alabama. The young pass-catcher had initially started his collegiate football career at Ohio State. In two seasons with the Buckeyes Williams recorded just 15 receptions and three touchdowns in 22 games at Ohio State. Williams then transferred to Alabama, and in his sole season with the Crimson Tide, he amassed a staggering 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns.
On Thursday, Williams became the first wide receiver to be picked by the Lions in the first round of the NFL Draft in 15 years. The last time the Detroit outfit picked a wide receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft was back in 2007 and it was none other than Calvin “Megatron” Johnson. Johnson recorded 731 receptions for 11,619 yards and 83 touchdowns in nine seasons in the Motor City.
Both of Williams’ parents were track and field athletes. His mother, Tianna, was recruited to UCLA by gold-medal Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee. His father, James Sr., ran for Abilene Christian University. Jameson’s three siblings all ran track in college as well. Williams himself was no short straw and he ended up clocking the Missouri state record for the 300-meter hurdles held by none other than Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliot.
Williams set a single-season record with four touchdown catches of at least 70 yards in 2021 while playing at Alabama. He also led the nation with 11 touchdown catches of at least 30 yards and its safe to say that a number of NFL fans will be hoping to see him impress with the Lions.
Williams had received his first actual scholarship offer as a sophomore from the Syracuse Orange. But that wasn’t the only offer he received. In total, Williams received around 50 offers from all across the country but narrowed down his list of teams to two: Ohio State and Alabama.
More NFL news:
Follow our dedicated page NFL for instant NFL news and updates