Prospect Bio

Jameson Williams’ 2021 season felt like it came out of nowhere—but the signs were there. Williams was a four-star recruit coming out of Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School in St. Louis, Missouri. There, he amassed 2,688 yards and 37 touchdowns on 104 receptions over his final two seasons. He was also a two-time track and field title winner and he set the state record in the 300-meter hurdles. The big schools were after Williams who received offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama before opting to go to Ohio State. His time with the Buckeyes was a major disappointment as he was stuck behind Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave on the depth chart. Having recorded just 15 receptions in two years, Williams chose to transfer to Alabama after the 2020 season. 

It was perfect timing for both Williams and the Tide as Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith had just departed for the NFL, leaving plenty of opportunity for the incoming junior. Williams took full advantage, hauling in 68 receptions for 1,445 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also returned two kickoff returns for touchdowns against Southern Miss and earned first-team All-SEC honors. Williams had four receptions for 65 yards in the National Championship game before suffering a torn ACL.

College Stats

Jameson Williams College Stats Courtesy of sports-reference.com

Positives

+A big-play threat

+Exceptional speed

+Explosive 

+Elite acceleration 

+Run-after-catch

+Deep-threat

+Good route-runner

+Two kickoff return touchdowns 

+19.9 YPR

Negatives

-Very little experience vs. press

-Slight frame 

-Coming off torn ACL in January 

-Tendency to let ball into body makes him susceptible to drops

-Couldn’t crack OSU depth chart; just 15 combined receptions as a freshman and sophomore 

Highlight Reel

Comparable Player: DeSean Jackson + Jerry Jeudy

NFL Draft Projection: First Round

Bottom Line:

The red flag on Jameson Williams is his complete lack of production in his freshman and sophomore seasons. But his 2021 was so dominant that we can almost forget about the OSU disaster. Almost. Williams projects as a first round NFL pick despite the ACL injury. There is some concern about his 2022 outlook, though, given how late the injury happened. But, taking the long term look, Williams will slide in as a team’s slot/Z where he can take full advantage of his quickness and avoid physical man coverage. As soon as he is healthy, he will be an instant weapon for whoever drafts him. His speed and explosion will allow him to dominate the deep quadrants of the field, while his route-running and agility make him a complete receiver who can also get open underneath. NFL offenses will design plays around his skill set while defenses will be forced to gameplan for him. Williams is one of the better wide receivers in the 2022 class and should be drafted as such in dynasty rookie drafts.

Post Draft Analysis:

The Lions really wanted Jameson Williams. They traded up 20 spots to make it happen. We don’t know when he’ll be healthy enough to get on the field, but when he is he’ll be an impact playmaker in a suddenly fun offense. Jared Goff won’t be the quarterback forever.

Resources: DLF, PlayerProfiler, PFN, PFF, TDN

Yards Per-Formance Prospect Grade