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Inspired by St. Brown, Raymond, Lions UDFA WR Isaiah Williams looks to follow in footsteps
Justin Rogers
The Detroit News
Allen Park — After every Detroit Lions practice the past three years, you can count on wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond as the last two players to head into the locker room. No matter the demands of the day's session, the pair hit the JUGS machine to catch an extra couple hundred balls each.
The act is a snapshot of the duo's work ethic, which has helped both excel far beyond the expectations placed on them entering the NFL. For St. Brown — who famously slid to the fourth round of the 2021 draft as the 17th receiver off the board that year — he's rapidly developed into an All-Pro three seasons into his career and recently signed one of the most lucrative contracts ever awarded at his position.
Wide receiver Isaiah Williams readies for a reception during Lions rookie minicamp.
Meanwhile Raymond, who went undrafted out of Holy Cross in 2016, earned a second extension with the Lions ahead of the 2023 campaign. After catching a total of 19 passes his first four professional seasons, he's averaged 43 grabs his three years in Detroit, while earning first-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner in 2022.
Established and accomplished veterans, St. Brown and Raymond weren't on the field for this weekend's rookie minicamp. Still, the familiar post-practice whir of the JUGS machine, and the repetitive thud of a football hitting receivers' hands was present. A half-hour of extra work after his first practice as a member of the Lions, undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams finally left the field.
On the surface, it's a wonder Williams wasn't one of the 257 players selected in last month's draft. The converted quarterback was among the Big Ten's most productive pass-catchers the past two years at Illinois, snagging exactly 82 balls each season for a combined 1,770 yards and 10 touchdowns. On top of that, he was a two-time captain and an academic All-American.
Productive, a leader, hard-working and smart; it's a profile an employer in any industry covets. That said, measurables still matter to NFL decision-makers, and that's where Williams' value was undercut. Teams are willing to overlook size concerns, especially at a position like receiver, but they're less inclined to take a chance on a 5-foot-9, 182-pounder who ran a below-average 4.63-second, 40-yard dash ahead of the draft.
Small and slow, relatively speaking, is a tough evaluation for any potential NFL player to overcome.
But even though no team was willing to use a draft pick on Williams, the résumé was enough to make him a hot commodity after the event. His agent informed him more than 20 teams reached out about signing him as an undrafted free agent, with Detroit ultimately securing his services.
Why Detroit? Well, it didn't hurt that the team came with a strong offer that included nearly a quarter million in guarantees. That's a rare figure for an undrafted player. Beyond the money, it was the environment and opportunity.
"This culture fits me. I'm not a Hollywood-type dude," Williams said after Friday's practice. "I'm not that type of player. I'm going to go out there and grind with a dawg mentality. I feel like that's Detroit through and through, gritty. That's how I play the game, that's my approach to the game. This was the perfect fit."
Additionally, the franchise has a long history of employing a meritocracy. It's not lost on Williams that the Lions have had at least one undrafted player make the team's roster every year since 2010. More specifically to his position, the success of St. Brown and Raymond are inspirational.
For Williams, there's an overlap with both players that extends beyond their post-practice routines. The rookie's agent has encouraged him to watch Raymond's tape, to see how an undersized, undrafted receiver can absolutely have an impact at this level.
St. Brown's path resonates even more, especially since he too was dogged for running a slow 40.
"Seeing how Amon-Ra was also a guy that ran a 4.6 — not the tallest guy — but on the field, he obviously plays faster," Williams said. "He's a ball player. He got an opportunity here, and because he's a ball player, he's flourished here. That's inspired me a lot."
The athletic profiles are surprisingly similar. Both showed impressive strength through their performances on the bench press (20 and 17 reps, respectively), as well as elite explosion via their vertical jumps. Williams is also extremely agile, offering strong results in the three-cone and short shuttle drills.
His agility and quickness show up in his film. He laughs how his 40 time had amateur scouts labeling him as a possession receiver. That doesn't come close to meshing with his playing style at Illinois, where he racked up 553 yards after the catch last season, the most in the conference.
"I've never been a possession receiver in my life," Williams said. "I've been catching bubbles and screens and getting yards after the catch from the start."
Receiver Isaiah Williams caught 82 passes each of his last two seasons at Illinois. The former quarterback is an undrafted free agent with the Lions.
That start, amusingly, was just three years ago after playing quarterback his first two seasons at Illinois. To help with the switch, his position coach introduced him to a daily, 400-catch program on the JUGS machine, focusing on different angles as much as volume. That's still Williams' offseason routine, while he catches closer to 200 balls, split before and after practice, in-season.
But what really flattened his learning curve was being forced to sink or swim against the school's tremendous slate of defensive back talent, including recent early-round draft picks Devon Witherspoon, Quan Martin and current Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
"When I first moved to receiver, that's when it was really starting to click for all of them," Williams said. "So I'm moving to receiver, these guys have three years under their belts and I'm going against them every day. It only made me better. I always tell people that practice was hard and the games were so easy."
In Detroit, once the rookies and veterans start working together later this month, Williams will again look to accelerate his development by attaching himself to the hips of St. Brown and Raymond, soaking up any knowledge the veterans are willing to share.
"He's a playmaker," Agnew said. "He's a guy, with the ball in his hands, is a playmaker. ... I think he'll have a great chance. He'll compete."
Like St. Brown, who still readily rattles off the 16 receivers selected ahead of him in the draft, the fact Williams didn't hear his name called at this year's event will serve as fuel in his pursuit of a roster spot.
"Nobody felt like I need him on my team, they left it up to me to choose somebody," Williams said. "That put a chip on my shoulder, all that hard work I put in. But life isn't fair, man. Whatever life throws at you, you have to make the most of it and that's what I'm going to do. At the end of the day, I've got an opportunity. But it most definitely puts a chip on your shoulder and makes you want to go out there and prove everybody wrong and prove yourself right."
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
@Justin_Rogers
Justin Rogers
The Detroit News
Allen Park — After every Detroit Lions practice the past three years, you can count on wide receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond as the last two players to head into the locker room. No matter the demands of the day's session, the pair hit the JUGS machine to catch an extra couple hundred balls each.
The act is a snapshot of the duo's work ethic, which has helped both excel far beyond the expectations placed on them entering the NFL. For St. Brown — who famously slid to the fourth round of the 2021 draft as the 17th receiver off the board that year — he's rapidly developed into an All-Pro three seasons into his career and recently signed one of the most lucrative contracts ever awarded at his position.
Wide receiver Isaiah Williams readies for a reception during Lions rookie minicamp.
Meanwhile Raymond, who went undrafted out of Holy Cross in 2016, earned a second extension with the Lions ahead of the 2023 campaign. After catching a total of 19 passes his first four professional seasons, he's averaged 43 grabs his three years in Detroit, while earning first-team All-Pro honors as a punt returner in 2022.
Established and accomplished veterans, St. Brown and Raymond weren't on the field for this weekend's rookie minicamp. Still, the familiar post-practice whir of the JUGS machine, and the repetitive thud of a football hitting receivers' hands was present. A half-hour of extra work after his first practice as a member of the Lions, undrafted rookie Isaiah Williams finally left the field.
On the surface, it's a wonder Williams wasn't one of the 257 players selected in last month's draft. The converted quarterback was among the Big Ten's most productive pass-catchers the past two years at Illinois, snagging exactly 82 balls each season for a combined 1,770 yards and 10 touchdowns. On top of that, he was a two-time captain and an academic All-American.
Productive, a leader, hard-working and smart; it's a profile an employer in any industry covets. That said, measurables still matter to NFL decision-makers, and that's where Williams' value was undercut. Teams are willing to overlook size concerns, especially at a position like receiver, but they're less inclined to take a chance on a 5-foot-9, 182-pounder who ran a below-average 4.63-second, 40-yard dash ahead of the draft.
Small and slow, relatively speaking, is a tough evaluation for any potential NFL player to overcome.
But even though no team was willing to use a draft pick on Williams, the résumé was enough to make him a hot commodity after the event. His agent informed him more than 20 teams reached out about signing him as an undrafted free agent, with Detroit ultimately securing his services.
Why Detroit? Well, it didn't hurt that the team came with a strong offer that included nearly a quarter million in guarantees. That's a rare figure for an undrafted player. Beyond the money, it was the environment and opportunity.
"This culture fits me. I'm not a Hollywood-type dude," Williams said after Friday's practice. "I'm not that type of player. I'm going to go out there and grind with a dawg mentality. I feel like that's Detroit through and through, gritty. That's how I play the game, that's my approach to the game. This was the perfect fit."
Additionally, the franchise has a long history of employing a meritocracy. It's not lost on Williams that the Lions have had at least one undrafted player make the team's roster every year since 2010. More specifically to his position, the success of St. Brown and Raymond are inspirational.
For Williams, there's an overlap with both players that extends beyond their post-practice routines. The rookie's agent has encouraged him to watch Raymond's tape, to see how an undersized, undrafted receiver can absolutely have an impact at this level.
St. Brown's path resonates even more, especially since he too was dogged for running a slow 40.
"Seeing how Amon-Ra was also a guy that ran a 4.6 — not the tallest guy — but on the field, he obviously plays faster," Williams said. "He's a ball player. He got an opportunity here, and because he's a ball player, he's flourished here. That's inspired me a lot."
The athletic profiles are surprisingly similar. Both showed impressive strength through their performances on the bench press (20 and 17 reps, respectively), as well as elite explosion via their vertical jumps. Williams is also extremely agile, offering strong results in the three-cone and short shuttle drills.
His agility and quickness show up in his film. He laughs how his 40 time had amateur scouts labeling him as a possession receiver. That doesn't come close to meshing with his playing style at Illinois, where he racked up 553 yards after the catch last season, the most in the conference.
"I've never been a possession receiver in my life," Williams said. "I've been catching bubbles and screens and getting yards after the catch from the start."
Receiver Isaiah Williams caught 82 passes each of his last two seasons at Illinois. The former quarterback is an undrafted free agent with the Lions.
That start, amusingly, was just three years ago after playing quarterback his first two seasons at Illinois. To help with the switch, his position coach introduced him to a daily, 400-catch program on the JUGS machine, focusing on different angles as much as volume. That's still Williams' offseason routine, while he catches closer to 200 balls, split before and after practice, in-season.
But what really flattened his learning curve was being forced to sink or swim against the school's tremendous slate of defensive back talent, including recent early-round draft picks Devon Witherspoon, Quan Martin and current Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
"When I first moved to receiver, that's when it was really starting to click for all of them," Williams said. "So I'm moving to receiver, these guys have three years under their belts and I'm going against them every day. It only made me better. I always tell people that practice was hard and the games were so easy."
In Detroit, once the rookies and veterans start working together later this month, Williams will again look to accelerate his development by attaching himself to the hips of St. Brown and Raymond, soaking up any knowledge the veterans are willing to share.
"He's a playmaker," Agnew said. "He's a guy, with the ball in his hands, is a playmaker. ... I think he'll have a great chance. He'll compete."
Like St. Brown, who still readily rattles off the 16 receivers selected ahead of him in the draft, the fact Williams didn't hear his name called at this year's event will serve as fuel in his pursuit of a roster spot.
"Nobody felt like I need him on my team, they left it up to me to choose somebody," Williams said. "That put a chip on my shoulder, all that hard work I put in. But life isn't fair, man. Whatever life throws at you, you have to make the most of it and that's what I'm going to do. At the end of the day, I've got an opportunity. But it most definitely puts a chip on your shoulder and makes you want to go out there and prove everybody wrong and prove yourself right."
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
@Justin_Rogers
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