The Facts: As Williams awaits a six-game suspension to open next season, the Detroit Lions are vouching for their prized receiver. “Look, he made a mistake,” GM Brad Holmes said after making his final pick of the draft on Saturday night. “He made a mistake. He takes accountability of it, he knows it. Yes, he is young, and he understands the mistake he’s made. We’ve had transparent, open conversations about it, but we have confidence that he’s going to take the approach, he’s going to have the right response, in terms of what he needs to do.”

Diehards Line: Williams was banned the first six games of next season for a violation of the league’s gambling policy, an obvious setback for a player who missed almost his entire rookie season while rehabilitating a knee injury. He also struggled when he finally did see the field, catching just one of his nine targets, and this offseason is critical for his development. A league investigation discovered he placed online bets from the team’s facility, along with fellow receiver Stanley Berryhill. Another receiver, Quintez Cephus, and special teams star C.J. Moore were suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games and immediately released by the team. While Williams’ violation was less serious -- and so was the punishment -- this was still clearly a violation of a league rule that he was educated upon after arriving in Detroit. Yet he made the bets anyway, and now will miss 17 of the first 23 games of his career because of it, a clear setback for a really talented player who needs more reps. “You just have talks with him,” Holmes said. “We’re always clear and transparent with him, like all our players, and just go forward from there. So, no real concerns going forward. He made a mistake, he takes accountability for it.” Williams’ agency also said he takes accountability for his actions, although the wideout still has not commented directly on those actions nor the suspension.