By Blessing 
The Detroit Lions had an intriguing guest over the weekend as they continue prepping for the 2025 NFL Draft. Among their top-30 visits was Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden—a projected first-round pick and someone whose skill set closely mirrors that of Jameson Williams.
Naturally, this sparked some buzz. Could Detroit be preparing to move on from Williams already?
If that’s even on the table, the Lions would be making a serious mistake by pulling the trigger now.
Let’s start with trade value—because right now, it’s a major gray area. Yes, Williams showed flashes of real potential in 2024, but that was his first productive season since entering the league. One good year doesn’t guarantee a strong return in a trade.
To put things in perspective: back in 2022, the Titans managed to get a first- and third-round pick for A.J. Brown. That same offseason, rumors swirled about Brandon Aiyuk being on the market, with similar expectations for compensation—but he never ended up getting moved. Williams likely wouldn’t command anything close to that kind of return. A second-round pick seems like the best-case scenario right now.
And that would be a tough pill to swallow considering the Lions invested the 16th overall pick in him just three years ago.
On top of that, there’s really no financial urgency to move him. Williams is only on the books for about $5.4 million in 2025. With Detroit in solid shape cap-wise for the upcoming season, there’s no pressure to clear space—at least not yet.
Of course, the cap situation won’t stay this flexible forever. Big extensions are coming. If the Lions re-sign Kerby Joseph, his new deal kicks in next season. Aidan Hutchinson still has two years left on his rookie contract, while Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta each have two years remaining as well. Jahmyr Gibbs? He’s under team control for another three seasons.
So while the Lions will eventually have to start making some tough financial decisions, they’ve still got a bit of runway before things get tight.
Now, if Detroit decides not to offer Williams a long-term extension, that would make sense. With Amon-Ra St. Brown set to earn $30 million annually, the team is already heavily invested at wide receiver. At some point, choices will need to be made about where the money goes—and Williams might not be a top priority.
But even so, trading him now feels premature. If the Lions do eventually decide to move on, next offseason would be the better time to do it.
This year’s draft class is packed with red flags at the receiver position—including Golden himself. Offloading a developing, proven player on a rookie deal in favor of a riskier, untested prospect doesn’t align with a team that has real Super Bowl aspirations.
Plus, drafting a replacement this year just delays the benefit of a fresh rookie contract until a time when the Lions will actually need that financial flexibility.
Aside from the meeting with Golden, there’s been no concrete indication that Detroit is actively shopping Jameson Williams. But if that thought is creeping into their plans—it’s one worth shelving for now.