The scary 53-player roster cuts have happened in the NFL, and a former Illinois football star has made a roster despite going undrafted.
It is extremely hard to make an NFL roster, especially if you weren’t “good enough” to be selected in the NFL Draft. Throughout time, numerous Illini players have gone undrafted but managed to stick with an NFL team.
You can now add Isaiah Williams to that list. On Tuesday, NFL teams had to get their rosters down to 53 players. The Detroit Lions cut quite a few talented athletes, but one of the players to make the cut was Williams.
After missing out on getting picked in April, Williams ended up signing a three-year, $2.845 million contract with the Lions. That doesn’t mean much, as the franchise could have easily cut him at any time between that contract and the start of the 2024 season.
Detroit didn’t cut him, though. In fact, he was a standout for the Lions in the preseason, amassing 11 receptions for 123 yards. This includes leading the Lions in receiving yards in both the Giants and Chiefs games.
Former Illinois football star Isaiah Williams could make an early impact for the Detroit Lions
Just making the 53-player roster is impressive enough. But at the end of the day, I think Williams might have a legitimate shot at really making an impact on this Lions squad.
#Lions establish initial 53-man roster
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) August 27, 2024
According to their website, the Lions have four wide receivers on the roster right now. Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Kalif Raymond were all going to be starters heading into the season. And then there is Williams as the only backup listed.
Honestly, this doesn’t seem like a wise move to only carry four wide receivers, but what that also means is that Williams is going to get his chance to shine. Look for Williams to not only play but to get good looks and some serious yards-after-catch in 2024.