Aidan Hutchinson and the rest of the Detroit Lions are eagerly anticipating Jameson Williams’ breakout season for them at wide receiver.
The Detroit Lions drafted two budding superstars in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, as well as wide receiver Jameson Williams.
While Hutchinson flourished in his first full year in the league, Williams was still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered in the College Football Playoff during his lone season at Alabama. Although Hutchinson is very familiar with him from their days in the Big Ten, he could not help himself from being awestruck on the big touchdown Williams scored very late into last season.
Hutchinson is well aware that it usually takes a year and change for players to fully bounce back from such a significant knee injury. This is what he said about his draft classmate to Chris Long.
“I mean, it happened right as he scored that touchdown. We’re all sitting there on the sideline, because we know how fast he is. And I mean, he was still not 100 percent coming off that knee. I mean, those ACL guys are not 100 percent until a year and a half after. We were all sitting there on the sideline just stargazing and really excited about next year.”
Here is the entire podcast of Hutchinson appearing on Green Light with Chris Long from last week.
After crushing the last two NFL Drafts, there is reason to believe the Lions will make the playoffs.
Aidan Hutchinson bullish on Jameson Williams’ breakout season for Detroit Lions
For years, the Lions never had a clue what they were doing. However, their fortunes are changing favorably for the better under this new regime. Dan Campbell is the man, man. Brad Holmes is one of the best up-and-coming general managers out there. And ownership Sheila Ford Hamp has given Campbell and Holmes every necessary resource to go out there and build a winning product.
Although the Lions’ future looks so incredibly bright, we need to go back to draft day when Detroit acquired Williams. Shockingly, they traded up to No. 12 in-division with the Minnesota Vikings for the talented wide receiver on the mend. This second first-round pick made by the Lions came from the No. 32 overall pick the Lions netted in the Matthew Stafford trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
Even though Williams missed most of last year, as did defensive back Lewis Cine who the Vikings took at No. 32 out of Georgia, we all sort of knew taking the former Alabama and Ohio State star was a long-term play for Detroit anyway. They were about a year away from being good, so they could afford to trade up for a player on the mend. Well, the Lions did figure it out late last season.
It sounds absolutely absurd, but Detroit is the smart pick to win the NFC North next year. The Green Bay Packers will regress with Aaron Rodgers on the precipice of being traded out of town. Although the Chicago Bears could be better, they are still rebuilding. As for the Minnesota Vikings, they have had cap issues to sort out. They overachieved a year ago and are a regression candidate.
Ultimately, Detroit seems to have the balance necessary on offense to be a top-four seed in the NFC next year. We know that Jared Goff can play winning football for a winning organization. The Lions have completely bought into the culture Campbell is building. If seven teams in the NFC are making the postseason next January, the smart money should be on the Lions being one of them.
If Williams is as impactful of a player for Detroit as he was at Alabama, he is a total game-changer.