2017 NFL Draft scouting report: Mike Williams
By Will Lomas
It is officially NFL Draft season, and until the commissioner walks up to the podium (and for a few weeks after that) there will be plenty of people wanting to discuss the draft and the prospects that come out of it.
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The Tennessee Titans have plenty of picks this year, including two first round picks and two third round picks, both of which should be the foundation of progress from a 9-7 team to a playoff team.
I have been covering the draft for the better part of a decade, and while that doesn’t make me the most experienced analyst on the internet I do like to think I know what I am talking about.
A staple of the NFL Draft is the scouting report, which (for me) gives an outline of five things:
1. What the player does well.
2. What the player doesn’t do well.
3. A summary of what the player does consistently in a paragraph or two.
4. What role I believe that player will have in the NFL.
5. Where that player should be valued.
These are my thoughts and you may disagree, I do my best to ignore the hype around players and have my thoughts in a vacuum so it may look completely different than someone else’s scouting report on a player.
That’s enough preamble, let’s get to my scouting report.
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Mike Williams
WR, Clemson
6’4, 210 lb.
Games Watched: Auburn, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Ohio State.
Pros
-Great frame that doesn’t look frail despite his listed 6’4 height.
-Knows how to play physically on back shoulder throws.
-Blocking isn’t a prerequisite for a great wide receiver, but it is a bonus and it is something that Williams seems to be willing to do.
-Hit or miss vs press coverage, but at least he has seen it and he has made some plays.
-Lines up in different spots, not limited to one specific area/job.
-Can make plays in the intermediate area.
-Identifies blitzes and communicates with his QB on how he will fill that vacuum.
Cons
-Drops a lot of contested passes for someone as big as he is.
-Not sure if he has anything more than average burst in his routes. Looked like he was playing with cement in his shoes against Florida State.
-I don’t know of a big play he has made in 2016. Doesn’t seem to be a constant threat, down the field or to make a play with the ball in his hands.
-Really doesn’t get good separation anywhere without being physical, which may not fly in the NFL.
Summary:
-I get a lot of comments on hating Williams, I don’t. He is a good college wide receiver, but I don’t think he should be anyone’s WR1. What does he do that is exceptional? Can he win in multiple ways? Does he have something that is rare or elite? I just don’t see it.
His upside is a bigger Anquan Boldin, which is great but that is his best-case scenario. Honestly, though I think he is a lot closer to a slower, smaller, less dynamic Devin Funchess.
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What is he? Williams is a WR2 who can make plays as a 3rd down target and as a redzone player.
Grade: Late 2nd round-Early 3rd round