The Detroit Lions Two of the NFL’s top three 2022 picks won’t be on the field when they open training camp on Wednesday.
Lions placed receiver Jameson Williams on a non-football injury list and defensive line Josh Paschal on a list physically unable to perform on Sunday.
Williams, seeded 12th overall in the April draft, may miss at least the first six weeks of the season, as the Lions vowed to take things slow on his comeback from the ACL tear he suffered in Alabama’s loss in the National Championship. Georgia in January.
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Williams did not participate in off-season training, and Lions coach Dan Campbell said before the summer break in June that he did not expect Williams to participate in the first part of camp.
“I don’t see his preparation for bootcamp,” Campbell said at the time. “I don’t see it. I’m very optimistic, but I don’t. We’re going to do this thing the right way and when it’s ready it will be. But, no, I don’t feel like you’re going to see it outside on day one.”
Williams hit nearly 20 yards on the catch in his only season in Alabama and is adding explosive ability to the Lions’ receiving corps.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes predicted after the draft that Williams would play at some point this season, but the depth of the lions at the receiver will allow them to slowly bring in the rookie.
The Lions brought back their top four receivers – Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond, and Quintez Cephus – from last season and signed DJ Chark to free agency.
Players on NFI and Puppy Lists are eligible to go out at any time during Bootcamp. Players who start the season on one of those rosters are eligible to return in Week 7.
Paschal, ranked 46th overall, participated in the junior junior camp in May, but was not involved in open media practices the rest of the spring. Campbell said he was dealing with a lower body injury related to an injury that kept him off the field during his final season in Kentucky.
As young players, Campbell said, it is important that both players get training time with their new teammates and in their new systems.
“Look, we want to get him out ASAP, and is he critical? It’s crucial, but not until he’s back in shape,” Campbell said of Williams last month. “He needs a lot of strength development in that body. His lower limbs, his legs, his knees, everything, so in order for him to stabilize himself and really have some strength that we feel good about where he can protect himself, he can protect that knee and he can compete and compete for High standard, we wouldn’t put it outside.”
The Lions also put veteran passer Romeo Okwara and second-year cornerback Jerry Jacobs on the UNP list, and outside back Natriz Patrick on the NFI list.
Okwara tore his left Achilles tendon in a loss to the Chicago Bears last October, while Jacobs tore his left anterior cruciate ligament in his loss to the Denver Broncos in December.
None of the players have been on the Lions’ official off-season program, and defensive line coach Todd Wash indicated last month that Okwara might not return until later in the season.
“When he comes back, we’ll put him in there and we’ll see what happens,” he said.
Black did not put third-year cornerback Jeff Okuda on the PPP roster on Sunday. Okuda tore his Achilles tendon in last year’s season opener and was a limited participant in spring training.
Most veterans go to training camp Wednesday. The rookies, injured players and quarterbacks were due to arrive in town this weekend.
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