Jameson Williams is embracing higher expectations.

After recording his first 1,000-yard receiving season in his third year in the NFL last season, Williams came back determined to build on that success.

He was arguably the standout player of both the offseason training program in the spring and this summer's training camp. That's led to lofty goals set in 2025, not only from his teammates and coaches, but from Williams himself.

"My focus is just getting better every day," Williams said this week. "I guess that's what other people see, is me trying to go out there and perfect my craft every day. That's my main thing, just getting myself better in every way I can."

Williams led the NFL last season in 50-yard receptions (5) and 50-yard touchdown catches (4) and his 17.3-yard average per reception was second behind only Indianapolis' Alex Pierce (22.3).

Williams' expanded his route tree and was making plays all over the field, not just the deep part, which was noticeable to anyone who saw a training camp practice this summer.

"Just becoming a more complete receiver," Williams said when asked where his game has taken its biggest strides heading into Year 4. "I feel like I was getting used in certain ways. Coaches are using me in different ways so it's a lot more ways I'm being used, and I'm just locked in on everything – route running, details, splits, speed control, a lot of things like that."

It's been impressive to watch Williams' development in offensive coordinator John Morton's system and it has a lot of people excited for what that could mean both for Williams and this offense.

Lions assistant head coach and wide receivers coach Scottie Montgomery challenged Williams to get stronger this offseason knowing it could have a direct correlation to better route running, getting in and out of breaks.

"He came back, and I could immediately see the difference," Montgomery said. "Not only his body type but also his movement skills. It became not just explosive, but it became a point where now he could be explosive and stop on a dime. His progression has been his ability to stop and start or start and stop, either way you look at it. He's done a great job with that."

ANXIOUS NOT NERVOUS

Lions new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard has been making defensive play calls for years.

Not in a game, which he'll do for the first time Sunday in Green Bay, but on his own simulating games the day before. Sheppard said the drill was to help him get ready for this role, a role head coach Dan Campbell identified for Sheppard years ago when he was a linebackers coach.

"If (former DC Aaron Glenn) AG got sick the night before, how would I see myself calling these games?" Sheppard said this week. "So, it's the first time others are going to see me call games, call plays, and things like that.

"I know the D and D's (down and distance), I know the plan, I know what we've said we're going to do here, I know what we've said we're going to do there and not deviate from it no matter what. It's the same thing we do in call-it periods in practice."

Along with calling simulated games, Sheppard said his playing experience has helped prepare him for this moment, as did the six weeks of on-job training during training camp where he said Campbell did a great job putting them in game situations every day to help prepare him and Morton for play call duties.

"I'm not BS-ing you at all," Sheppard said. "I'm not nervous at all. I'm very anxious, but I'm not nervous. There's a big difference. Someone is nervous, you're not prepared. We are prepared and we will be prepared, and we'll let the chips fall where they may on Sunday."

ROOKIE RECEIVERS IMPRESSING VETS

Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett, Detroit's third and seventh-round picks in this year's NFL Draft, made the 53-man roster to begin the regular season and in doing so have impressed some of their veteran teammates.

"Those two guys are ahead of their time," Williams said of his rookie teammates. "Our room, I feel like we've got a lot of steppers. There's no drop-off from vets to rookies or anything like that. Those guys are fully on point now."

TeSlaa is expected to play a role on both offense and special teams on Sunday. Lovett could carve out a role on both too, but was particularly good on special teams throughout training camp.

"They look good. They look great, man. They're energetic, they're young, they take a bunch of reps in practice and don't get tired," Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said of TeSlaa and Lovett. "It's good to have fresh legs out there. In any way they can help us, they are going to be out there and ready to help us and we trust those guys."

EXTRA POINT

Former Lions Pro Bowl long snapper Don Muhlbach has a new gameday role for Detroit. Muhlbach wears a lot of hats within the organization as a special assistant for football operations. He helps both the coaching staff and front office during the year and on gamedays will be on of the headset helping Campbell with game management and challenge decisions.