Jameson Williams

The Sporting News looks at Jameson Williams' recovery timeline and whether he will be able to return to training camp ahead of the 2022 NFL season.

Georgia. It is the final play of his collegiate career: a 40-yard completion. (Iyer projects Williams to go 21st overall to the Patriots in his seven-round mock draft). March 30 — Williams provides his second update, this time at the 2022 Alabama pro day. At the time he spoke to reporters in Indianapolis, Williams said he was six weeks out from surgery (which would be roughly Jan. 19) and two weeks out removed from using crutches and braces to assist in walking. Using that timeline from the date of injury — Jan. 10 — Williams would be cleared to return as soon as July 10, assuming the quickest turnaround possible. It was the final play of Williams' collegiate career. "He actually wanted to play in the second half," Saban said. He is going to prioritize "making sure I'm 100 percent" before returning to play, however. Williams offered another update at Alabama's pro day on March 30, indicating he remained ahead of schedule 10 weeks after surgery. So dominant was his lone season at Alabama that, even following a normally devastating knee injury in the national title game, he is projected as a first-round pick. Georgia. He exited the game after going down untouched and clutching his knee. How much his draft stock has been affected by the injury remains uncertain, but most teams don't appear bothered by it considering what has largely been a positive prognosis and projected recovery timeline.

Should the Jets take WR Jameson Williams in the 2022 NFL draft? A look at the pros and cons:

Williams was the clear-cut No. 1 receiver in the class before getting hurt. New York has glaring needs at edge rusher, cornerback and safety as well, and it may be unwise to pass on one of the top players at those positions to snag Williams. Jets fans may feel squeamish about taking an Alabama receiver after watching ArDarius Stewart flop in 2017, but the Crimson Tide have produced some of the best receivers in the country. Williams is exactly the type of receiver the Jets have been looking for all offseason. Williams tore his ACL in the national championship game against Georgia in mid-January, and it’s unclear if or when he’ll return to full health. “I think it would be good for me because of my speed,” Williams said Wednesday of playing in New York’s offense.

With the loss of wide receiver Tyreek Hill and the availability of two late first round picks, there's good reason for the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs to trade ...

Indeed, even with Williams competing at the NFL Combine, the Chiefs would do quite well to land him because of his overall speed and athleticism. The overall wide receiver class is so loaded the Chiefs should be able to still draft their guy, and there is very clearly one player who can fill the Hill void like no other: Jameson Williams out of Alabama. This should help the Chiefs to secure a player that can fit in and make a difference from year one in Kansas City.

Although a knee injury sidelined him in the National Championship Game, he's still expected to be a strong first-round selection.

Williams has some dropped passes during the first half of the season, but it seemed to be something he corrected as he continued to make strides and got more comfortable in the Crimson Tide offense. - Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN - Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN - Mobile and CTV: NFL, ESPN "Williams is a special athlete that has exploded in a new offense this season. At Ohio State, he was buried in the depth chart behind other talented receivers. A few concentration drops need to be cleaned up. Balance and physicality throughout the route could improve, gets knocked off his stem at times. He and John Metchie III, who also got hurt against Georgia although in the SEC Championship Game, were the second receiver combo in Alabama history to each top 1,000 yards during a season. Williams also had two kick returns for touchdowns and finished with 1,947 all-purpose yards. Williams is originally from St. Louis, and not only scored 22 touchdowns as a senior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep but also broke Ezekiel Elliott's state record in the 300-meter hurdles. Shows the advanced route-running ability to change speeds throughout his stem.

With the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama. We have an NFC North trade, with the Lions trading up from ...

His ability after the catch is going to make him a quarterback’s best friend, and when coupled with what he can do in the downfield passing game, Williams has the ability to step into an offense and provide explosiveness in the passing game from Day One. But Williams is not a scheme-specific receiver, as his long speed and route-running skills helps him create in the downfield passing game as well. On this play against Florida, Williams sits down in a soft spot of zone coverage, but makes an explosive transition to ball-carrier, exploding upfield for yardage after the catch: Williams relies on footwork and stutter-step moves to beat press-aligned defenders after the snap, and snaps off his routes well with crisp breaks and fluid movement skills. He also won the 300 meter hurdles in two-straight seasons, setting a state record in 2017. With that 12th overall pick, Detroit gets the best receiver in this class (in my opinion), and a player who, when he recovers from injury, should have a Tyreek Hill-like impact on a Lions offense in desperate need of downfield speed and separation.

Former Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams has shown up to the 2022 NFL draft in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will likely hear his name...

Williams is now in Las Vegas, Nevada for the draft and will await for his name to be called. Tonight, Williams will almost certainly hear his name be called by a franchise that plans to utilize him as a rookie star. In that one season, he amassed 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns on 79 receptions.

Who drafted Jameson Williams in the 2022 NFL Draft? Here's what the Detroit Lions should expect after taking the Alabama football receiver.

"We're just getting a lot of movement, a lot of good workouts in," Williams said. He tore his ACL in the College Football Playoff Championship, and Alabama's offense wasn't the same. He certainly was in his lone year at Alabama. Williams caught a pass over the middle and took it 67 yards for a touchdown. He got ejected for targeting on a special teams play in the Iron Bowl this past November. Williams also returned two kicks for touchdowns. He tallied 15 receptions for 266 yards and three touchdowns over those two seasons with the Buckeyes.

Combine workouts: Unable to participate because of a knee injury sustained in the national championship game vs. Georgia. Stats: Three-year player, with first ...

Many analysts say he would have been a Top 5 pick had it not been for the knee injury sustained in the national championship game. GM Brad Holmes trading up into the first round, or the player he got – a wide receiver who elevates the offense. Analyst's take from Dane Brugler, The Athletic: "When heathy he has the field-stretching speed and ball instincts to be a big-time weapon. As a high school junior, he had 36 catches for 1,069 yards, 15 TDs and an average of 29.5 yards per catch. He was also a star in track and field, as a sprinter and long jumper. Stats: Three-year player, with first two seasons at Ohio State. 15 receptions in 22 games, with 3 TD. Transferred to Alabama for 2021 season.

Jameson Williams' star-crossed career is about to hit the Motor City. What's the speed merchant's outlook in Fantasy?

- caught 22 of 45 targets (49% catch rate) on passes of 15-plus Air Yards for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns. The same thing could end up happening to Williams, but he could also have a much better career statistically if he has a capable quarterback throwing to him. A handful of targets did bounce off his hands, arms or chest. - Tore his ACL in January during the National Championship game. Also stepped out of bounds when running down the sideline on way to the end zone against New Mexico State. Long-term Fantasy managers will basically overlook Williams' torn ACL, but they'll have a hard time overlooking the Lions' current quarterback situation and the general feeling of taking a receiver on the Lions. Williams is fast with plenty of potential, but he's not on the level of Calvin Johnson, and there's no one slated to throw him the ball on the level of Matthew Stafford ... or even Bryce Young, his college quarterback. He rounded his cuts on deep posts and digs. - Ran every route in the book but was constantly open versus zone coverage because defenders feared his speed. We might not see the best from Williams until 2023, but once he's running at full speed and locked into a stronger-armed passer, he could be amazing. In fact, he won multiple state titles in the 300-meter hurdles and broke a state record previously held by Ezekiel Elliott in the process. Rated a four-star prospect from 247Sports, Williams chose to attend Ohio State beginning in 2019. On the gridiron, Williams posted 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns on just 36 receptions with three kickoff returns for scores as a junior, then followed that up with 68 catches for 1,626 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior.

The Detroit Lions traded up with the Minnesota Vikings to select Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams with the No. 12 overall pick on Thursday during the ...

While many projected the Lions to snag a quarterback with the No. 32 overall pick, instead, Detroit packaged their 30s picks to move up for a potentially game-changing receiver. This is a pick for the future of Dan Campbell's squad. He found that in Tuscaloosa with the Crimson Tide, where Williams joined John Metchie and quickly became an explosive weapon for Alabama, earning first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC honors in 2021.

Jameson Williams was a part of one of the most loaded wide receiver squads in NCAA history at Ohio State. Williams played his first two seasons in Columbus ...

Instead, he let the highlights do the talking, and they had plenty to say. But reports say — and the social media of Lions cornerback Jeff Okudah confirms — he left on positive terms. That means Williams could miss OTAs, training camp, the preseason and even potentially regular-season games. "Teams will not lose sleep over this injury." But after not putting up the numbers he hoped for in his first two seasons — 15 total catches for 266 yards and three touchdowns — he decided to leave. As a Buckeye, he shared a receiver room with Garrett Wilson (the No. 10 overall pick by the New York Jets on Thursday) and Chris OlaveGarrett Wilson (the No. 11 overall pick by the New Orleans Saints) as well as Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who currently projects as the top receiver in the 2023 NFL draft.