And so the Lions traded up 20 picks in the first round to select the fourth-best wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Jameson Williams is coming off late-season ACL surgery and is highly unlikely to be ready for the start of the regular season. In the process, the Lions gave up a third-round choice, and will select 14 picks later in the second round.
Also, they did this deal with an NFC North rival, the Minnesota Vikings.
It was an illogical decision by second-year general manager Brad Holmes.
Unless Williams is the second coming of Ja'Marr Chase, which is possible, but improbable, it could come back to haunt the Lions.
It seems like a repeat of mistakes by previous Lions' regimes. Think Charles Rogers. Remember Roy Williams and Mike Williams. Even tight ends taken in the Top 10, Eric Ebron and T.J. Hockenson. I know, the Lions hit a grand slam by selecting first-ballot Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson second overall, but what did that mean in regard to actually winning games? The Lions were 49-86 in the games Megatron played.
The idea Williams would have been a top-five pick and the first receiver off the board were it not for injury doesn't add up.
Two of the receivers taken before him were from Ohio State, Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave. They were the starters when Williams transferred from Ohio State after catching just six and nine passes in his two seasons with the Buckeyes. When freshman sensation Jaxson Smith-Njigba (not draft eligible until 2024) showed up on campus, Williams was off to Alabama where he thrived.
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/971theticket/sports/detroit-lions/brad-holmes-lions-didnt-think-twice-on-jameson-williams" headline="Holmes, Lions didn't think twice on Jameson Williams: "Let's go get him"" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=63572100"]Williams is a fantastic prospect, but it's stunning the amount of draft capital the Lions surrendered to acquire a wide receiver 12th overall.
There were 10 receivers who caught 100 or more passes in 2021. More were taken in the fifth round (Hunter Renfrow, Stefon Diggs and Tyreek Hill) than in the first (Justin Jefferson and Jaylen Waddle). Cooper Kupp, Keenan Allen, Diontae Johnson and tight end Mark Andrews were third-rounders, while Davante Adams was a second rounder.
If the Lions were going to trade up to such a degree, Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis or Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton would have made more sense. Minnesota took Georgia safety Lewis Cine at No. 32. He is a terrific player.
The Lions were a 3-13-1 team last year. The positional value at wide receiver is only there for teams when other parts of the roster are filled. The Lions need draft capital. They gave it away Thursday.
At least they were smart enough to take Aidan Hutchinson when he fell into lap at No. 2 overall.
But the Williams pick was questionable on many levels.
