Alabama wideout Jameson Williams will likely hear his name called tomorrow night, but it’s uncertain when he’ll take the field with his new squad. According to Albert Breer of SI.com, Williams will likely start his NFL career on the PUP list.
This isn’t entirely unexpected after Williams suffered a torn ACL in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship game. Assuming he is placed on the physically unable to perform list, the rookie wideout wouldn’t be able to make his NFL debut until at least Week 7, which would be late October.
As Breer opines, it’d be silly for an absence during the first half-season of a prospect’s career to impact their draft stock. However, if a coach or GM is fighting for their job, they may not be able to wait that long for Williams to take the field. As a result, the wideout may have to wait a bit to be drafted, but Breer still expects the receiver to be selected in the first half of the first round.
Williams had a breakout campaign in 2021 after transferring from Ohio State to Alabama, finishing with 79 catches for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns, earning him a first-team All-American nod. A number of teams have been connected to the receiver, including the Jets and Eagles.
If they don’t trade the pick for Deebo, I could see the Jets picking him at #10 to meet their yearly quota of Jamisons or homophones thereof. He’d cost a lot less than Deebo, too.