Jameson Williams NFL Draft
The lack of elite talent at the top of the draft board, particularly with the quarterbacks, has taken some of the shine off of the 2022 NFL Draft. That being said, there are still plenty of deep position groups that are projected to offer solid, day one starters.
Of those position groups, wide receiver is among the top of the list. While the field might not boast Ja’Marr Chase, there is plenty of star potential in all different player profiles. One of those players is Alabama Crimson Tide’s, Jameson Williams.
Williams is a Junior who is coming into the NFL standing 6’2”, weighing 189 pounds with 32 1/8” arms and 9 ¼” hands. In his 2021 season, Williams finished with 79 receptions totaling 1,572 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 starts. Among his awards were first-team Associated Press All-American, first-team All-SEC receiver, and Co-SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award for the top receiver in College Football.
Unfortunately, Williams tore his ACL against Georgia in the national title game which will likely keep him off the field initially in 2022. The late-season injury is the main reason why mock drafts have him going anywhere from the Atlanta Falcons at 8th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs at 30th.
NFL Combine Recap & Results
It’s hard for injured prospects to improve or even stabilize their draft stock through the draft process. The inability to participate in the NFL Combine or their respective teams’ Pro Day can be frustrating. For Williams, a player who was hurt so late in the season and only has one full college season as a starter under his belt, it can be even more difficult.
Williams started his career at Ohio State in 2019 as a reserve and played special teams. He caught a modest six passes for 112 yards and one touchdown. In 2020, he started only six games and caught just nine passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. What makes it more difficult an evaluation is that he was distinctly behind two other projected first-round wide receivers in Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson. From there, he decided to enter the transfer portal and ended up having an award-winning 2021 for the Crimson Tide which ultimately ended with an ACL injury.
Scouts and General Managers are going to have a difficult time determining a wide receiver pecking order given Williams’ college career and the two players who forced him out of Ohio State. In saying that, on March 30th Williams posted some workout videos on Twitter and looks to be well on his way to at least participating in an NFL Training Camp.
Former Alabama WR Jameson Williams, two months removed from surgery on his torn ACL, is not participating in Alabama’s Pro Day today. But here here he is last week, continuing to progress, with the expectation being that he’ll be running by the draft, per @Alliance_Sports. pic.twitter.com/Z4cP9J1mbR
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 30, 2022
Strengths
The best word to describe Williams is explosive. He has game-breaking ability, elite speed, and separation skills. He’s a player who doesn’t need much space to create problems for a defense.
He has the ability to not only take the top off a defense but can put in work in all areas of the field with his sudden ability to change directions and run after the catch athleticism. He can be moved all over the field, including on special teams, which will give headaches to opposing coaches.
Not only does he boast elite-level traits with his speed, explosiveness, and athleticism, but he’s also a technically polished receiver. Year in and year out, there are plenty of one or two trait players in every skill position group that can hang their hat on being fast or having a unique body size, but not all of those players can combine that with the technical skills needed to be a complete player.
Weaknesses
Unfortunately, Williams’ weaknesses or concerns have little to do with the player he is on the field.
Williams tore his ACL at the latest possible point of the College Football season, the National Championship game. The injury drastically impacted his pre-draft process where he wasn’t able to attend the NFL Combine or his Pro Day for on-field drills.
NFL teams typically have more questions around players who suffer significant injuries late in their college careers, especially when the player hasn’t had the chance to show he’s fully healthy again. With so many other high-end healthy wide receiver prospects in this draft, Williams’ stock could fall solely due to injury.
Other than the injury, NFL teams could start picking through his college career which from the outside looking in, resembles a one-year wonder. With two largely ineffective years at Ohio State in 2019 and 2020, behind both Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, it’s entirely possible that his award-winning 2021 season can be viewed as an outlier to NFL scouts.
Along with his inconsistent college career and his major injury, questions about Williams’ small body frame and durability, very similar to the questions asked about former Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith last season, have also come up through the draft process.
NFL Player Comparison
Williams has drawn pro comparisons to Free Agent receiver Will Fuller by NFL Network Analyst Lance Zierlein, Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill by ESPN Draft Analyst Todd McShay and other NFL Draft experts have compared him to Baltimore Ravens Hollywood Brown and Philadelphia Eagles DeVonta Smith.
All in all, Williams’ player profile fits a very specific type of NFL receiver. His elite speed trait immediately sparks thoughts of Tyreek Hill waiving to defenders as he takes the top off the defense. The Fuller comparisons come from his ability to make the big play that could alter a game, and his slender frame reminds scouts of fellow Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith.
Williams’ natural ability gives him a leg up on other receivers who need to work harder to match his skill level. If Williams can continue to work on his craft, there truly is no ceiling for what he can become at the next level.
Best Fit: Kansas City Chiefs
Imagine trading Tyreek Hill for five draft picks and being able to immediately replace him with a stylistically similar player on a rookie deal?
There isn’t a better landing spot for Williams than with Andy Reid and the Chiefs. Not only would Reid and his staff be able to maximize Williams’ talent and use him in a similar way they used Hill, but they also don’t need him right away.
With the signing of JuJu Smith-Schuster and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Williams would be a luxury pick for the Chiefs and would be able to be worked into the offense gradually as opposed to being drafted as an undisputed number one receiver out of the gate. Once he’s fully healthy, Williams will be joining a Patrick Mahomes II lead high-powered Chiefs offense in an already stacked AFC West.
