Not only is the 2025 NFL Draft approaching, but it’s also an active time for deals outside of the draft. For the Detroit Lions, one player of great interest is coming up on his deadline for a fifth-year option, and that could cause some teams to make a play for him.
That player is wide receiver Jameson Williams. Fans love him, and he’s magical on the field. He’s had some, well, issues, including being suspended from games due to gambling violations, but he really had a breakout season in 2024, clocking more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Now, the Lions have to decide if they’re going to keep Williams for the long-haul and ink him to a long-term extension.
Other Teams Could Call for Certain Player
It would be a tough blow to lose Williams. But, the Lions already had to pay up to keep Amon-Ra St. Brown, so it would hurt the pocketbook to sign Williams to a very lucrative deal.
In a Sports Illustrated feature published April 21, NFL expert and analyst Albert Breer says he wouldn’t be surprised if the Lions were to get some calls about Williams before May 1 to try to snag him.
“A scenario or two could play out like this: A team is wavering on exercising a fifth-year option on a player since the fifth-year option is fully guaranteed at signing,” Breer said. “But the team also knows that the player will be more valuable with two years left on his deal than one. So rather than deciding on the option, the team trades the player to give that team the right to exercise the option and have two years of control over the player.”
If Williams delivers in 2025 like he did in 2024, he’ll probably require a huge contract to stay on, especially with wide receivers becoming a position of growing importance in the NFL. That’s where the idea of trading him instead of letting him go into free agency comes into play.
“If you’re on the fence on exercising the option, then you’re less likely to give the guy a blockbuster extension,” Breer stated. “So, you have to consider moving him, simply because being willing to consider exercising it means he’ll likely have value to someone else.”
In the end, Breer says that it makes one “wonder if, say, the uncertain future of guys such as Detroit Lions WR Jameson Williams or Giants OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux could elicit phone calls in the coming days.”
The Lions’ Possible Top Draft Pick
Switching gears for the draft, in a piece for the NFL, Eric Edholm, lead draft writer, predicts the Lions will draft edge Mykel Williams of Georgia for their initial pick.
“This mock, my final crack at the exercise this year, is all about getting it as close to the pin as possible,” Edholm stated. “Easier said than done, but that’s the goal. I kept it quite simple: mostly chalk up top (with one fun twist), and only one trade (albeit a spicy one).”
He adds that he’s “not fully convinced Williams makes it this far, but if he does, the Lions should be thrilled,” he stated. “He’s exactly the type of ascending prospect and body type Detroit seems to want on the edge.”
