Jameson Williams Drafted by Lions: Detroit's Updated Depth Chart After Round 1

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The Detroit Lions drafted Alabama Crimson Tide wide receiver Jameson Williams with the 12th overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft on Thursday in Las Vegas. 

Williams becomes the third Alabama wide receiver in the last two years selected in the first round of the draft, joining 2021 first-rounders Jaylen Waddle, who was selected by the Miami Dolphins, and DeVonta Smith, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Williams enters the NFL after just one standout season with the Crimson Tide. The 20-year-old caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games as a junior. He spent his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes, catching a total of 15 passes for 266 yards and three scores in 10 games. 

Here is what the Lions' depth chart will look like following the addition of Williams, who will surely slot in as one of their top receivers. 

QB: Jared Goff, Tim Boyle, David Blough

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RB: D'Andre Swift, Jamaal Williams, Craig Reynolds

FB: Jason Cabinda

WR 1: D.J. Chark

WR 2: Jameson Williams, Josh Reynolds

WR 3: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Kalif Raymond, Quintez Cephus

TE: T.J. Hockenson, Garrett Griffin, Brock Wright, Jared Pinkney 

LT: Taylor Decker, Matt Nelson

LG: Jonah Jackson, Logan Stenberg

C: Frank Ragnow, Evan Brown, Ryan McCollum

RG: Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Tommy Kraemer

RT: Penei Sewell, Dan Skipper

After an impressive junior season at Alabama, it will be interesting to see how Williams produces at the NFL level, especially considering the fact he's coming off a torn ACL suffered in the National Championship Game against Georgia in January. 

Following the Senior Bowl, Bleacher Report's Scouting Department listed Williams as the third-best wide receiver in the draft behind USC's Drake London and Ohio State's Chris Olave. 

B/R's Scouting Department also compared Williams to veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson, saying this about him:

"Overall, Williams will be an immediate weapon for any NFL offense due to his speed and explosiveness and will walk into the league as one of its fastest and most dangerous players. He has more polish to his game that will allow him to do "true" WR things and will make him more than a one-trick pony, but he will need to continue to refine his technique to have answers against more physical cornerbacks."

If Williams can produce at a similar level as Waddle and Smith did during their rookie seasons, it'll be a great start to his NFL career. 

Detroit has badly needed a true No. 1 wideout ever since Calvin Johnson. Kenny Golladay showed flashes but didn't fill that role.

For now, the Lions don't have their next franchise quarterback to succeed Matthew Stafford, and this wasn't a great draft to go searching for one. In Williams, they at least identified a possible cornerstone of the passing game.