Lions get bold Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown prediction that'd be a huge surprise

The Detroit Lions are entering the 2026 NFL season with a new offensive coordinator leading the way. Drew Petzing, who's been with the Arizona Cardinals for a while before this Lions gig, is now calling the shots on offense.

But even with change, Jahmyr Gibbs, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, and Sam LaPorta should still be able to thrive. That's exactly what ESPN's Dan Graziano is predicting will happen in 2026. But in a way that would be a bit of a surprise.

Instead of St. Brown leading the offense like normal, he's predicting that Williams will wind up as the Lions' leading receiver this upcoming season. If this came true, it would be a huge surprise considering what the Lions' passing attack has looked like in recent years.

Lions get mildly surprising Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams prediction for 2026 season

"Don't be surprised if ... Jameson Williams is the team's leading receiver," Graziano writes. "No disrespect to Amon-Ra St. Brown, one of the most consistent pass catchers in the entire league. But I think this Lions offense is going to hum this season, and Williams is the player poised to take the biggest leap."

This 2026 Lions offense, thanks to a weaker defense due to a heavily depleted secondary, could be playing catch-up and throwing the ball plenty.

Williams and St. Brown should see plenty of work in 2026. But Graziano is predicting that the leading receiver for the Lions won't be St. Brown like it has been, but instead Williams.

The two receivers have been playing together since 2022, and not once has Williams outpaced St. Brown in the Lions' offense.

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Williams has been progressing during his career, recording career-highs last year with 102 targets for 65 receptions, 1,117 yards, and seven touchdowns.

But even though Williams set career-highs, St. Brown still put up 117 receptions on 172 targets for 1,401 yards and 11 touchdowns. There's just too large a difference between the two for this prediction from Graziano to be anything but a surprise.

Williams does have big-play upside, and maybe Petzing utilizes that more in his offensive plans than the easier passes to St. Brown. But the Lions won't just go away from their four-time Pro Bowler. He'll see plenty of work once again.

So, if Williams somehow were able to lead this receiver room, it would be a huge storyline. It's possible if he has more explosive plays while getting a bit more volume, which is possible, but producing more than St. Brown is still a huge, surprising leap.

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