Number 16: Avery Williamson
ILB – 54 – 6’1 246lbs – Exp. 4 – Kentucky – 2014 Draft 5th Round Pick
Avery Williamson and Woodyard are very similar. Both do-it-alls, both former Kentucky Wildcats, both last names’ start with “W” and they both start for the Titans at inside linebacker. Now they’re only one spot apart in the roster ranking! In the past two seasons, Williamson has been a force. In that span, he’s recorded 206 tackles, 5.5 sacks and picked off a pass in each of the last two years. He’s the kind of guy you always see around the football.
In Week 14 against the Denver Broncos, Williamson made one of the most important plays of the Titans’ season. At the time, they were 6-6 and battling hard for a playoff birth. The former Super Bowl champs were next on the schedule though. At 13-10 with very little time left and the Titans leading, Williamson put a stopper in the Broncos’ game winning drive attempt by stripping A.J. Derby of his cargo and creating a crucial turnover to put the Broncos away. It may have been the smartest play of the 2016 season. Williamson is a fantastic inside linebacker and I expect him to man the inside of the Titans’ linebacking corps for a while to come.
Stat Projection: 106 Tot. Tackles, 4 Sacks, 1 PD