Greedy

Williams

Opinions like this partially explain Williams’ small draft slide. Most analysts believed Williams was a first-round talent, but the Browns didn’t draft him until No. 46 overall. Believing in yourself seems like a pretty silly reason to slide, but NFL coaching staffs can be quite opinionated. It’s possible that Williams turns into one of the best values of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Cleveland traded the 49th and 114th picks to move up for a corner many believed to be the best in this year’s class. Williams (6’2/185) turned pro as a redshirt sophomore after starting 24 games in two seasons in Baton Rouge, tallying 28 career pass breakups with eight interceptions including an SEC-high six picks in 2018. PFF College credited Williams with a measly 40.3% completion rate allowed last season, and he aced pre-draft workouts with a 4.37 forty and 1.51 ten-yard split, the second fastest ten-yard time among all players in Indy. A press-man specialist who needs to add strength, Williams profiles similarly to Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie as a stringbean with obvious pluses and minuses but starting-caliber tools.

It’s been widely speculated that Washington defensive back Byron Murphy will be the 33rd pick, but Miller gives Arizona Texas A&M C Erik McCoy instead, and then there’s a WR run of A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and Deebo Samuel before the Seahawks pick. Williams (6'2/185) fits the Seattle preference for “long” corners, although you have to wonder how a coach like Pete Carroll would respond to his perceived lack of physicality. Still, corner is a need, and Williams is widely considered by many to be the best in this draft.

You know what Greedy’s name ought to be? Grabby,” said the scout. “He grabs every play. He’s 6-foot, long and can run. He ain’t tough and he’s weak as (bleep).” Well, then. Williams has had his toughness questioned before, but this taking it to another level. Right now, he’s viewed by many as either the best or second-best corner in this class -- he and Byron Murphy appear to be fighting for that honor -- but it’s those questions that keep him from being likely to be selected in the first-half of the first round.

There is no consensus among the top cornerbacks this year, so none of the high-end corners are locks to go Round 1 and that includes Williams (6'2/185). The primary concern surrounding Williams is his thin frame which raises questions about his tackling ability, but Breer also mentions there are character concerns. Of course, tackling isn’t the biggest job description for a corner and Williams has shut-down corner upside, so a team could take the risk on Williams in the teens or 20s. If not, he’ll be off the board early in Round 2.

Per Rap Sheet, Williams has met with teams for dinner and the like, but has not been taking part in the more intricate team interactions that make up a large part of the back half of the evaluating season. While odd, Rapoport notes that this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Just a rare thing. He tosses out that Tyler Eifert likewise largely eschewed visits during his own draft process.

Williams (6'2/185) sits on the Round 1/2 borderline, but this report indicates opinions are all over the place. After a dominant 2017 collegiate season, Williams allowed the lowest catch rate among SEC cornerbacks in 2018, but some draft analysts are concerned with his slender frame and how that projects to his tackling ability. Despite the critique, NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein says Williams has the potential to be a team’s CB1.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler brought this stat up on Twitter while noting that “it’s a possibility” that we might not see a DB off the board in the top 25 picks later this month. He writes that none of the defensive back prospects in this class should be viewed as “lock” selections for the top-25. Greedy Williams, Byron Murphy, Taylor Rapp and Deionte Thompson are among the defensive backs who would be angling to keep the streak alive.

Williams (6'2/185) allowed just 27 receptions on 67 targets, good for a 40.3 percent catch rate. This is well above another highly touted prospect in Georgia CB Deandre Baker who allowed a 48.8 percent catch rate last season. Williams exploded at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.37 40-yard dash and 1.51 10-yard split. He is expected to be the first cornerback off the board when the NFL Draft rolls around.

Williams (6'2/185) was elite in coverage in 2017, but Pro Football Focus credited him with “just above average” grades for his 2018 efforts. That’s the primary concern for Mellor, who wants to see an upward trajectory in Round 1 prospects. However, Williams certainly has the talent to be an effective corner in the NFL, especially since he’s a fantastic athlete (4.37-second 40-yard dash). Most expect Williams to be the first corner to be drafted, but that is not a guarantee.