A lot of talk heading into the start of Wednesday’s NFL Combine, in regards to the players Clemson is bringing to the week-long event, has primarily been about quarterback Deshaun Watson, and understandably so. However, Watson isn’t the only Clemson player who has the potential to be a star on Sundays.
Former wide receiver Mike Williams (6-4, 225) is also considered one of the best players in the draft, and many expect him to be the first wide receiver off the board in the 2017 NFL Draft.
“Mike Williams to me is clearly one of the two best wide receivers in this draft class,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah said. “You talk to people around the league, and some have him at No. 1 and some have him at No. 2 behind (Western Michigan’s) Corey Davis.”
What Jeremiah likes about Williams is his physicality and his size. Williams used his size and physicality to snag 98 passes this year for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns. Even against a defense with so many potential pros, Williams was a beast against Alabama, hauling in 8 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. He even made a spectacular 24-yard reception on the Tigers’ game-winning drive in the national championship.
“You have someone who is big and powerful, he wins on a lot of slant routes,” Jeremiah said. “He wins down the middle of the field with his size and his strength. He wins a lot of contested catches down the sideline and will go up for those 50-50 balls. He is just so strong and so physical, and down in the red zone he is a primary target down there.”
Jeremiah believes Williams will be a perfect red zone target for someone.
“Third down, red zone, Mike Williams is going to be a big problem for opposing teams trying to matchup with the size and physicality he brings to the table,” the NFL Network analyst said.
Like any prospect, Williams also has his concerns, which he could address in this week’s combine.
“Scouts question whether Williams is fast enough to separate from coverage at the next level,” NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks writes. “Although his game revolves around his ability to bully defenders with his size and strength, Williams must be able to create consistent separation from defenders to thrive as a (No. 1 receiver). If he fails to run the 40-yard dash in the 4.50-4.59 range during his workouts, scouts will have a tough time believing he is fast enough to thrive as a pro.”
With that said, Brooks still has Williams as his top wide receiver heading into the combine. The wide receivers will participate in the on-field workouts on Saturday along with the quarterbacks and the tight ends.
“He is prototypical (No. 1 receiver) with the size, strength and ball skills to dominate on the perimeter,” Brooks writes. “Williams overpowers defenders with his “bully ball” game, and opponents are forced to double-team him.
“As a playmaker, Williams is at his best running isolation routes (slant, skinny post and fade) against defensive backs on the outside. The big-bodied pass catcher uses his strength and power to win at the line and box out defenders at the catch point. With Williams also displaying exceptional ball skills in traffic, NFL quarterbacks will quickly learn to lean on the big (receiver) in critical situations, particularly on third down or in the red zone.”
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