Isaiah Williams is easily the undrafted rookie with the highest expectations as the Detroit Lions begin their rookie minicamp. Detroit signed Williams to a $225,000 base salary guarantee as a UDFA out of Illinois after the 2024 NFL draft.
However, Williams faces an uphill battle to stick in Detroit. At least that’s what Lions assistant GM Ray Agnew intimated on Friday in his pre-practice press conference.
Agnew noted Williams’ background coming out of St. Louis, where the Lions assistant GM played on the Rams’ defensive line for the final three seasons of his career. Williams was a quarterback as a youth and began at that position at Illinois before switching later in his time in Champaign.
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He talked up the “playmaker” nature and mentality Williams brings, but that won’t ensure a spot on the Lions roster, not even with the hefty signing bonus and salary guarantee. Agnew noted that the wide receiver position is “pretty well stocked for us.”
That’s a statement that might catch some observers off-guard, though it’s been a consistent message from the offseason actions the Lions have taken all winter and spring.
After re-signing Donovan Peoples-Jones, a midseason trade acquisition in 2023, the Lions are running back the same receiving corps as in 2023, with the exception of Josh Reynolds, who signed as a free agent in Denver. Reynolds started 13 games and caught 40 passes for 608 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season. All were second on the team amongst wide receivers behind All-Pro Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Jameson Williams is expected to step up in his third season and the first without any offseason issues (injury, gambling suspension) occluding his path. Veteran Kalif Raymond (35 catches, 489 yards in 2023) is back as well. Peoples-Jones and 2023 seventh-rounder Antoine Green, as well as former Saints starter Tre’Quan Smith are all in the mix as well.
Williams joins that competition, along with another UDFA the team signed, Jalon Calhoun from Duke.