Heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, the Detroit Lions traded up from 32 to No. 12 to select Alabama's Jameson Williams in the first round because they thought they had a need for a No. 1 wide receiver. While they didn't know it at the time, he was already on the roster in the form of Amon-Ra St. Brown , who had just wrapped up an incredible rookie season where the fourth-round selection racked up 912 yards and five touchdowns.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes' aggressive move required patience, knowing that Williams had suffered a torn ACL in the College Football Playoff National Championship. The recovery process from that injury limited Williams to just six games as a rookie, where he recorded one reception for 41 yards and a touchdown.
After improving to 354 yards and two touchdowns in his sophomore NFL season, Williams had a big breakout last year, recording 58 receptions for 1,001 yards and seven touchdowns. Now he's entering his fourth season, which is typically the time when teams extend their prized former first-round picks with a high-dollar contract extension.
Yet, despite the Lions already coming to terms with franchise cornerstones such as Aidan Hutchinson or Kerby Joseph , no such extension has come for Williams. His lack of long-term contract security has led to The Athletic's Colton Pouncy 's assumption that the Lions could look to trade Williams, possibly as soon as next offseason.
However, as we've seen, sometimes players are traded without any warning. Other times, rumored trade timelines can be accelerated by an aggressive offer. Ultimately, if Williams is mildly available, which teams could plot a trade for the Lions' former first-round pick? Here's a list of five potential landing spots.
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Jerry Jeudy has emerged as a respectable No. 1 option since arriving via trade from the Denver Broncos last season. However, the Browns aren't looking at Williams as their top option, like in Detroit, he'd be arriving as a complementary weapon who can help elevate the offense by providing a speed threat capable of taking short passes for long gains.
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The Las Vegas Raiders are ready to supercharge their offense after injecting Pete Carroll, Geno Smith , and Ashton Jeanty into the building, but what about the receiving corps? Plus, we all know how much the ghost of Al Davis would appreciate a receiver with speed to burn.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers may be done targeting secondary weapons after adding Jonnu Smith , but they could get to training camp and realize more help is needed at the receiver position. If so, making an aggressive offer for Williams, who's still just 24 years old, could be a great way to boost their chances of returning to the playoffs and actually winning their first elimination game since 2016.
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While they managed to have the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL last season, the Buffalo Bills' receiving corps still lacks some star power. Adding Williams would give Josh Allen another receiver he'd have a hard time overthrowing, which could force defenses into a panic as they try covering every inch of the field.
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We've already seen how effective Patrick Mahomes can be when he has a capable speed demon playing the receiver position. While Xavier Worthy may already be on the path for greatness, the Chiefs will eventually have to replace some of Travis Kelce 's targets, and why not do so with someone who's a tough cover on any given Sunday?
Related: Pittsburgh Steelers' 4x All-Pro's roster spot could be in danger
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