Last year the Chargers chose wide receiver Mike Williams with the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft. Williams struggled through an injury-plagued rookie season that saw him catch just 11 passes for 95 yards, with no touchdowns.
But this year has been different. Williams has 37 catches for 592 yards and nine receiving touchdowns, and on Thursday night against the Chiefs he added a rushing touchdown and the game-winning two-point conversion. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said on NFL Network that no one on the team ever doubted that Williams was going to be a big-time player, even if some who didn’t see Williams work every day questioned him.
“The man’s caught nine touchdowns this year and this two-point conversion,” Rivers said. “Nobody in the locker room doubted why he was picked seventh, but if anybody on the outside had any questions, he’s answered those this season.”
Williams has developed into one of Rivers’ favorite receivers, and he may play a big part in a Chargers playoff run. He’s becoming exactly the kind of player the Chargers thought he would be when they drafted him, even if his development into a big-time playmaker came a year later than the team hoped.
