Amon-Ra St. Brown broke into a grin Thursday afternoon when asked about Jameson Williams.
“He looks fast," said St. Brown. "Explosive.”
Those two words define why the Lions traded up to draft Williams 12th overall last year. And they reflect what the Lions will be seeking on Sunday when the 22-year-old receiver is likely to make his season debut after being reinstated by the NFL two games early from his gambling suspension. Williams' mere presence on the field can impact defenses, even if his production doesn't yet warrant it.
And receivers like St. Brown could benefit.
"He can stretch the field and back the safeties up, back the corners up and open things up underneath," said Jared Goff. "And then going across the field he can displace coverage as well. His speed’s a problem for defenses and it’s our job to get him the ball in space and let him go with it."
There might not be a faster player in the NFL than Williams, who can flat-out fly. (Madden could attest.) There's more to catching passes than outrunning defenders, and it's on Williams to prove that he's more than just a threat. Still, those defenders will be wary.
“His speed is something that stands out right away," said St. Brown. "You’ve got to respect it, especially corners, safeties. If you can’t run 4.2, you better start backing up, because he can run 4.2. Just that in itself opens up a lot of stuff for us maybe underneath even more, because you’ve got to respect his speed at the end of the day.
"You can do all type of things with him, so just having him back on our team feels great. We’re excited. I know the coaches are, too. It’s going to be a fun year going forward with him.”
The coaches, of course, are playing it coy when it comes to how they will or won't incorporate Williams on Sunday. If he's active, they say, the Lions will have a package of plays that highlight his strengths.
"Every week, we’re intentional about getting everyone involved in doing things that they’re capable of doing," offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Thursday. "Whether the play gets called or whether the coverage dictates the ball going to them, that’s a different story. But here’s what I’ll say about Jamo: If he’s active this week, he will have plays in for him this week."
Dan Campbell emphasized that the Lions won't "overload" Williams with plays from the jump. Williams has missed 15 of his first 21 games in the NFL and he averaged just 13 snaps in six games last season after recovering from the torn ACL he suffered at Alabama. For that reason, said St. Brown, "it was tough to get him in a rhythm sometimes throughout games."
"Now, he’s been training, got a whole year under his belt, I think he’s going to look a lot different this year," said St. Brown. "Just getting him out there, more comfortable in the offense, I can’t wait to see it. “
"We’re 3-1 and we've been pretty good on offense without him," said Goff. "Hopefully he can take us to the next level."