Nick

Williams

Cheekily, Williams’ new teammate Chase Daniel broke the news on social media. The 33-year-old is a pure depth signing at this stage of his career, especially after missing over half of 2022 with a biceps injury. If Williams makes the 53-man roster, he will be tasked with stopping the run.

A journeyman headed into his age-32 season, Williams started 17 games for the Lions in 2021 and 13 games in 2020. In New York, Williams will join a Giants defensive line graded by Pro Football Focus as last season’s ninth worst run-stopping unit.

A 30-year-old journeyman, Williams had made zero career starts before last season. He notched the first six sacks of his career in the process, providing 531 solid snaps for the Bears. There was nothing in his profile that suggested he should be a free agent target for someone else, but Lions coach Matt Patricia clearly liked what he saw in the sides’ two meetings. Even at a bargain price, this one could quickly look like an overpay.

A 2013 seventh-rounder, Williams spent all of his rookie year on injured reserve due to a knee injury. He remains a developmental, raw prospect with limited experience after not picking up football until his senior year of high school, but looks the part at 6'4/309 with long arms and good burst.

Williams is a raw project out of Samford, but he’s prototypically built to play 3-4 defensive end and could pay dividends down the road if developed. As a rookie, Williams will likely either ride the bench or hit the practice squad.

Williams (6-foot-4 1/2, 309) played five technique in Samford’s 3-4 defense, logging eight tackles for loss and seven sacks as a senior. A long-armed (34") athlete, he ran 4.94 with a 1.63 ten-yard split and 33-inch vertical at the Combine. Williams didn’t begin playing football until his senior year in high school and took too many plays off in college, but he offers developmental upside. He’ll compete to make Pittsburgh’s final 53 in training camp.

Williams missed a large chunk of training camp with a knee injury. The Steelers viewed him as a project when they drafted Williams in the seventh round out of Samford. Williams will use his rookie year as a “redshirt” campaign.

Williams expects to play in the Steelers’ second preseason game Monday. After missing the last two weeks due to injury, he’ll need to prove he’s healthy to avoid being placed on the practice squad. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette considers Williams a “long shot” to make the 53-man roster.

A 2013 seventh-round pick, Williams spent his entire rookie season on injured reserve. The Steelers haven’t made much of an effort to re-sign Brett Keisel or upgrade at right end, so Williams has a chance to compete for snaps opposite Cameron Heyward when healthy. Williams has been off crutches since mid-January and is eight months removed from knee surgery.