Adding to their strong 2024 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions made another great move hours after the conclusion of the NFL Draft. This move was signing Illinois WR Isaiah Williams to a contract as an undrafted free agent (UDFA). Certainly, Williams will need to prove himself but he appears to be worth rolling the dice on as a player.
For starters, he’s experienced with 37 games played at wide receiver over the last 3 seasons. Prior to playing wide receiver at Illinois, Williams was a quarterback and he had four starts in 2020 at the position.
Over the last two seasons, he’s recorded 82 receptions in each season and it’s clear that he was the best playmaker for the Illinois offense. Looking at his pre-draft process, Williams checked into the Scouting Combine with the following measurements (per Mockdraftable):
Even though the 40-yard dash time of 4.63 seconds is less than ideal for his athletic profile, I think Williams plays faster than he tested. After all, he did run a 4.57 time at the Illinois Pro Day. However, play speed is far more important than track speed and that could be the case here.
Most importantly, the Lions appear to feel the same way. They gave him a guaranteed contract at $240,000 total guaranteed. That amount of money guaranteed is more than a typical UDFA deal. For example, the Lions signed Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim to $100,000 guaranteed last year.
That was basically the same money as being a seventh-round pick in the NFL Draft. So for Williams to get the amount he got is a bit telling. Let’s jump into some tape to take a look at what Isaiah Williams provides the Lions depth chart at wide receiver.
Looking at the first play, you can see Williams aligned to the right of the formation. Once the ball is snapped, he runs vertically upfield and towards the safety in the middle of the field. As the safety begins to prepare for the potential vertical route, that’s when Williams breaks over the middle of the field and towards the sideline on a deep over route. Once there’s enough separation between him and the defender, that’s when the pass is delivered right into his hands for the first down.
Next, I want to showcase the ability to adjust on the football while running vertically. Looking at the play above, the Fighting Illini come out in a trips left formation. Highlighted, you can see Williams aligned as the ‘Y’ to the trips side. Once the ball is snapped, you’ll notice Williams running a wheel route up the numbers.
Despite creating some, not a ton of separation, the ball is thrown towards his back shoulder. With the ball in the air, you can see him make a great adjustment on the football. This leads to a secured catch and first down for the Illinois offense.
Alignment versatility is important for players on offense and defense. For Isaiah Williams it is a vital part of his game and it impacts his usage in the offense. There are plenty of clips where you’ll see him used on pre-snap jet, exit and orbit motions for the offense. Additionally, he will take handoffs during a jet motion or when he’s aligned in the backfield.
For example, the play above shows Williams aligned in the backfield as the running back. It’s not unfamiliar territory for him as he’s a former quarterback. With the play above, the ball is snapped and he takes a hand off from the quarterback on a zone run. As his eyes look to the perimeter, he notices an opening and he bends this run back inside. He gets upfield and gains 5 yards on this carry.
Very impressed with Illinois WR Isaiah Williams. Surprised he went undrafted but glad he ended up in Detroit. Could see him competing all summer with the chance of landing a spot on the Lions roster.
+ Provides alignment versatility
+ Shows good elusiveness after the catch
+… pic.twitter.com/TGrcqByjRi— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) April 28, 2024
Despite playing quarterback, Williams is naturally gifted as a receiver and that showed during his redshirt freshman season. Per the Illinois team site, he was 3rd in the nation among Power-5 freshmen in receptions with 47 of them. He was only behind Texas’ Xavier Worthy (62) and Georgia’s Brock Bowers (56) for that season.
When putting some clips together, I felt like Williams was comparable to Jayden Reed of the Green Bay Packers. Certainly, he may not have the same straight line speed as the former Michigan State Spartan but his movement skills and usage in the offense were similar to Reed.
As you can see in the clips highlighted above, Williams is versatile and can align anywhere on the offense. He’s elusive after the catch and he plays tough over the middle of the field. Add in the fact that he’s got return ability for the Lions special teams unit and I think he becomes even more valuable.
Drops are a concern and the pacing of his routes aren’t always consistent but I do believe the inconsistent quarterback play at Illinois was a factor. Getting the timing down with Jared Goff or Hendon Hooker will be important for his transition and development with the Lions.
Most of us had assumed that the Lions would spend a day two pick on a pass-catcher. In fact, there was a thought that the Lions could aggressive and move up on day one for a wide receiver. However, the Lions waited and added talent to other positions that desperately needed improvements.
With that, it opens the door for Williams to crack the 53-man roster. Sure, he’s got his work cut out for him with Antoine Green, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Tre’Quan Smith and Tom Kennedy also battling for that 4th and 5th receiver spot. But with how the tape looks, it feels as if Williams will get his opportunities and how he capitalizes on those chances will determine where he fits in Detroit. Despite being a UDFA, he looks like a sleeper that could carve out a role early in his career.