Tyrell Williams: What the Lions are getting in their new wide receiver

The Detroit Lions added wide receiver Tyrell Williams to bolster the anemic core at the position. Williams signed a one-year deal to join Detroit after being cut by the Las Vegas Raiders late last month.

What are the Lions getting in Williams?

Williams, 29, is an outside-the-numbers vertical threat as a receiver. At 6-4 and over 200 pounds, he’s a big target with good strength at the catch point. He proved that during his career with both the Chargers and Raiders.

His time with the Chargers makes him a very familiar face for new Lions offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn, who was the head coach during the 2017-2018 seasons while Williams was on the team.

Lynn used Williams’ impressive long speed quite well in the Chargers offense. As the No. 3 receiver, his routes were generally limited to deeper throws down the field. He caught 153 passes in three years (2016-2018) in that role with the Chargers with an average yards per reception over 16 yards.

This route tree (courtesy NFL Next Gen Stats) from 2017 is pretty indicative of Williams at his best usage in Los Angeles:

Consistency is definitely a calling card. Even after moving to the Raiders for the 2019 season in a completely different offensive scheme and with a different style of QB in Derek Carr, Williams produced at almost exactly the same level. The three-year production between 2017 and 2019 is freakishly consistent:

You might notice there is nothing on the line for 2020. Williams missed last season with a shoulder injury. He missed two games in 2019 with a heel issue that also limited his availability in other games in his first year with the Raiders. One of the reasons Las Vegas gave up on him was Williams’ lack of availability for his lofty price tag; the Raiders paid out a $44 million contract over four seasons after the 2018 season to lure him as a top target.

If Williams is healthy, he will get every opportunity to be the same guy in Detroit he was from 2017-2019, a 40-catch, 650-yard receiver and field-stretching threat on the outside. Given how the Lions need a No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 wideout right now, Williams is a smart gamble as a known commodity for Lynn.