At one point of the 2021 college football season, Alabama receiver Jameson Williams was projected to be the top receiver off the board at the 2022 NFL Draft.
His combination of blazing speed and crisp route-running (which helped him to catch 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns) made him one of the most attractive players, regardless of position. So dominant was his lone season at Alabama that, even following a normally devastating knee injury in the national title game, he is projected as a first-round pick.
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Regardless of injury status, Williams is expected to provide a boost to the receiving corps of whatever team drafts him. How much his draft stock has been affected by the injury remains uncertain, but most teams don’t appear bothered by it considering what has largely been a positive prognosis and projected recovery timeline.
The Sporting News breaks down Williams’ injury, his recovery timeline and whether the incoming rookie will be able to compete not only in NFL training camp, but also the 2022 NFL season:
What is Jameson Williams’ injury?
Williams tore his ACL early in the second quarter of the College Football Playoff championship game vs. Georgia. He exited the game after going down untouched and clutching his knee. He returned from the locker room in the second half dressed in street clothes.
Jameson Williams went down with a non-contact knee injury on this play.
🙏🙏🙏 pic.twitter.com/tAXWhfg5j7
— PFF (@PFF) January 11, 2022
Alabama’s Nick Saban said after the game that Williams wanted to play, but that athletic trainers would not allow him to.
“He actually wanted to play in the second half,” Saban said. “And the medical staff wouldn’t let him, which I think was smart because he has a future as a football player.”
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Will Jameson Williams participate in NFL training camp?
The average recovery time for a torn ACL is eight to nine months, though recovery can sometimes be as little as six months. Using that timeline from the date of injury — Jan. 10 — Williams would be cleared to return as soon as July 10, assuming the quickest turnaround possible. Though dates have not been finalized yet, training camp is expected to start in mid-to-late July.
Williams has said on multiple occasions he is ahead of schedule in the recovery process, but has not committed to an exact time of being ready to play at the beginning of the 2022 NFL season.
“I was hearing five to seven months (to recover), but I’m hearing I’m ahead of schedule,” Williams said on March 2 at the NFL Combine. “Hopefully things keep going on this track and we’ll be back as soon as possible.
I won’t be rushing anything but really it’s going to take time … I just want to be ready when it does happen.
It should be noted that, while he did not compete at the combine, Williams did demonstrate to teams his mobility and walking stability. At the time he spoke to reporters in Indianapolis, Williams said he was six weeks out from surgery (which would be roughly Jan. 19) and two weeks out removed from using crutches and braces to assist in walking. He had, at that time, began pool work at the Andrews Institute in Gulf Breeze, Fla. as part of his rehab process.
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Williams offered another update at Alabama’s pro day on March 30, indicating he remained ahead of schedule 10 weeks after surgery. He said at the time his likely recovery timeline is five to seven months, adding that he hopes to be fully cleared for football activities by the start of training camp. He is going to prioritize “making sure I’m 100 percent” before returning to play, however.
.@AlabamaFTBL WR Jameson Williams tells @JamesPalmerTV he is “ahead of schedule” after his ACL injury and expects to be fully cleared physically before the start of training camp. pic.twitter.com/PT0H3ZIoel
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 30, 2022
Williams also said teams have not asked him about his ACL other than to question where he was in his recovery process.
Will Jameson Williams be ready to play in the 2022 NFL season?
Considering Williams is aiming for a return to football activity by mid-to-late July, it stands to reason he would be ready to play once the season starts on Sept. 8, 2022 (barring a setback in his recovery). The general belief is that he will miss at least some playing time.
The question, then, is what team will select Williams in the 2022 NFL Draft? He is generally considered one of the best players available (No. 11 overall, according to The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer), but the torn ACL makes him more likely to be a mid-to-late first-round pick.
Some outlets project Williams will be taken No. 8 overall by the Falcons (via NFL Mock Draft Database). Most mock drafts slate him going no sooner than 15th overall to the Eagles.
Williams is a first-round talent, and will slide no further than the late first round, either to the Packers with the 28th pick or the Chiefs with the 29th or 30th pick. (Iyer projects Williams to go 21st overall to the Patriots in his seven-round mock draft).
Each of the teams mentioned above have a need for a receiver: the Falcons, to replace Calvin Ridley, who is suspended for the 2022 season due to gambling on league games; the Eagles, to provide a complement to DeVonta Smith and another weapon for quarterback Jalen Hurts; the Packers, to offset the losses of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling; and the Chiefs, to join JuJu Smith-Schuster and Valdes-Scantling to make up for the loss of Tyreek Hill.
MORE: Jameson Williams goes full superstar at Alabama after transfer from Ohio State
Jameson Williams injury timeline
Williams tore his ACL early in the second quarter of the CFP championship on Jan. 10, 2022. It was the Crimson Tide’s first offensive play of the quarter — one that saw Williams adjust to a pass from quarterback Bryce Young in what was ultimately a 40-yard completion to the Georgia 35-yard line. It was the final play of Williams’ collegiate career.
Though Alabama provided no official update on Williams’ recovery, he has said in multiple interviews that he underwent surgery sometime shortly after the championship game (using his comments as a base, no later than Jan. 19). He has not needed the aid of crutches or braces since at least mid-February and, as of his most recent update, is able to get “good movement in,” including pool work, slight jogging, high knees and butt kicks.
In all, Williams is “shooting for” a return to football activity by the start of NFL training camp (mid-to-late July), with the presumption he will play at some point in the 2022 NFL season.
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Jameson Williams injury updates
March 30 — Williams provides his second update, this time at the 2022 Alabama pro day. He reiterates he is ahead of schedule in the recovery process and is “shooting for” a return to football activity at training camp.
March 2 — Williams provides his first update at the 2022 NFL Combine, saying he is ahead of schedule in a projected recovery time of five to seven months.
Week of Feb. 13 — Williams no longer needs crutches or braces to assist in his walking.
Week of Jan. 10 — Williams undergoes successful surgery to repair his torn ACL.
Jan. 13 — Williams declares for the 2022 NFL Draft after tallying 79 receptions for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2021 season.
Jan. 10 — Williams suffers a torn ACL in the second quarter of the CFP championship game vs. Georgia. It is the final play of his collegiate career: a 40-yard completion.
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