X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Jameson Williams NFL Rookie Profile - Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Outlook

Jameson Williams fantasy football rankings rookies wide receivers NFL draft sleepers

Justin Carter's fantasy football rookie analysis for Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams. Is this NFL rookie WR a 2022 fantasy football draft sleeper?

With the 2022 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, it's time to think about how various rookies are going to fit with their new teams.

The Detroit Lions used the 12th pick in this year's draft on Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, making him the fourth receiver to go off of the board, following Drake London, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave.

Williams tore his ACL in his final college game, so his rookie season outlook is complicated by that fact. Will he be ready to go this season?

Editor's Note: Discover RotoBaller’s top Fantasy Football Sleepers to gain an edge in your drafts. Our free who to draft tool and expert picks spotlight undervalued players, breakout candidates, and late-round gems for all league formats.

 

Jameson Williams College Production

Williams played three seasons in college, splitting time between Ohio State and Alabama. But in Ohio State's crowded receiving corps, Williams never really did much, catching 15 passes in two seasons. In 2020, he finished sixth on the team in receptions. It's hard to make an impact when you have Olave and Wilson ahead of you.

But at Alabama, Williams had a chance to shine.

Last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led the SEC in receiving yards and was fifth in the country. He also contributed on kick returns, with a pair of touchdowns and the fifth-most kick return yards in the conference. Williams was the kind of weapon that Alabama could use everywhere thanks to his elite speed.

 

Jameson Williams's Measurables

Williams wasn't able to compete at the NFL Combine because of his ACL injury, so we don't have official workout metrics from him. Though, Williams did say that he would have done really well running the 40:

And honestly, yeah...I don't think he would have broken the record, but he would have run an extremely impressive 40. There are reports he ran a 4.39 at Alabama, which wouldn't be the fastest ever but it would have been around where Wilson and Olave ran. He likely would have been faster in an actual Combine run.

As for his other measurables, Williams ranks in the 60th percentile, per MockDraftable, in height and the seventh percentile in weight. His frame is definitely a concern, but we've seen thin receivers like Williams have NFL success. Williams is at 179 pounds. Receivers who were within five pounds of that weight pre-draft include Darnell Mooney, Elijah Moore, John Brown, Peerless Price, Jaylen Waddle, Santana Moss, Tyler Lockett, T.Y. Hilton, Diontae Johnson, and Steve Smith Sr.

 

Williams's Strengths and Weaknesses

Strength is easy here: Jameson Williams is very fast.

The Georgia defense is incredibly good and Williams jogged through it like someone had turned his sliders up in Madden. That's what happens when you try to defend against him in this kind of zone look: if he gets into an open spot in the defense and the ball gets to him, he'll explode.

Assuming he returns fine from his knee injury, Williams projects to be someone who can blow the lid off of an NFL defense. I mean:

Obviously, NFL defenses have more speed than college defenses. Williams won't just blow by everyone. But he does possess the ability to get behind a whole lot of defensive backs. Teams will need to keep a safety high to defend against Williams going over the top, which should open things up for other players in this offense.

In terms of potential weaknesses at the next level, the frame is a concern. We know that Williams can make plays down the field, but will he have the body strength to win at the line of scrimmage? Will defenders be able to jam him up early, preventing him from getting down the field?

Williams also had six drops last season.

 

His Fit With The Lions

The Lions had a need at receiver, but was Williams the right kind of receiver for them?

Short term...I don't know. The Lions have Jared Goff at quarterback, who definitely isn't known for his deep ball. Last year, his 40 deep ball attempts ranked 27th among quarterbacks, per PlayerProfiler. He was 33rd in air yards per attempt and 24th in deep-ball completion percentage.

That's worrisome. Of course, roster context matters, and the Lions have some question marks at receiver. Rookie Amon-Ra St. Brown saw 119 targets to lead the team, but second and third in targets were tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back D'Andre Swift. Kalif Raymond was the only other player with more than 40 targets. Goff didn't do a lot of deep throwing, but he also didn't have the personnel to do a lot of deep throwing.

But even when Goff was playing in a better spot for passing, the numbers weren't there. In his final year with the Rams, he was 19th in deep-ball attempts. The last time he was actively throwing deep a lot was in 2018 when he was eighth in deep ball attempts and fifth in air yards. That was a while ago and considering how the rest of his career has gone, I think it's fair to worry about how a downfield threat like Williams fits in an offense that's helmed by Goff.

And while that might not be a long-term concern—the Lions are 100% taking a QB at the top of the 2023 NFL Draft—it's a pretty big concern when we're discussing Williams in terms of redraft.

 

Jameson Williams Fantasy Football Outlook

So, what should we expect from Williams in fantasy this year?

First, there's the injury concern. ACL tears usually take eight months or so to return from. If he's ahead of schedule, he could be ready by July, but that would be incredibly optimistic. Instead, I think it's more likely that Williams ends up missing some regular-season games while he gets back into playing shape. I wouldn't be shocked at all to see Williams miss the first three or four weeks.

After that, he'll need to figure out his place in this system. The injury rehab will likely put him behind schedule in that phase of the game, so expect his offensive involvement over the first few weeks once he returns to be inconsistent.

And, of course, there's the weird fit of Williams in a Goff-led offense that we talked about above—another definite concern for his fantasy value.

Once he's on the field and has gained some of the offense's trust, Williams will be the most talented receiver on this team, but he'll still be splitting targets with St. Brown and Hockenson on an offense that won't throw the ball a ton. He'd probably be a WR3/4 play on a weekly basis over the second half of the season, with the possibility of a couple of big games due to some breakaway yards after the catch.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More NFL Rookie Profiles




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Jauan Jennings

Seeking New Deal or Trade From 49ers
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
A.J. Dillon

Not a Lock for a Roster Spot?
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Quinshon Judkins

Following Quinshon Judkins Arrest, NFL Declines Comment
Travis Hunter

Earning Praise in Jaguars Camp for Work Ethic
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Julius Chestnut

Kalel Mullings Competing for RB3 Role
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
Kimani Vidal

Fighting for No. 3 Job
Cam Hart

Recovering From Shoulder Surgery
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
Quentin Johnston

Might Not Get Many Chances to Prove Himself
Tre Harris

Officially a Holdout
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Travis Etienne Jr.

Needs to Bounce Back in 2025
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Herbert Jones

Signing Extension with Pelicans
Jacob Toppin

Returning to Hawks
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF