The Washington Commanders held their rookie minicamp from May 8-9, and former Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams clearly stood out with an impressive showing.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn raved about Williams during an appearance on The Sports Junkies Podcast, when asked how Williams looked in rookie minicamp.
“I think one thing that you say, right off the bat, like man, this guy has feel,” Quinn said. “He knows when to stop, he knows how to adjust – he just has awareness already as like a big-time receiver. He’s got great hands, great movements to go. He’s off to a hell of a start. … He has definitely been one [of the rookies] that has absolutely jumped out. He’s got real skill about him. So, yeah, we’re really pumped about Antonio.”
The Commanders selected Williams in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 71 overall pick.
Williams is expected to compete for immediate playing time in Washington’s receiving corps as a threat in the slot, and he has his sights set on making an instant impact for the Commanders and becoming a reliable, go-to target for quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Quinn continued to praise Williams, when asked about the particular traits that jumped out when the Commanders were scouting him. Quinn pointed specifically to Williams’ route-running ability, along with his natural feel as a receiver.
“I think when everybody sees him as the route-runner, you’re going to see him absolutely be able to break people off his option routes, in-breaking routes, out-breaking routes – all the different elements that go along with that as a route-runner,” Quinn said. “He can stop, he can change directions, explosive. Those are a few of the things that jump out to us.
“But it’s just the feel. It’s not just a height, weight, speed thing – this guy’s got real natural feel as a receiver. That can be a hard thing to measure, but when you see it, you know exactly what it looks like. And Antonio has it, man, in the biggest way.”
Williams left Clemson ranking fourth in school history in career catches, while racking up 2,336 receiving yards and 21 receiving touchdowns across 43 games. The two-time All-ACC selection also tied Mike Williams for the fourth-most career touchdown receptions in school history.
In 2025, Williams caught 55 passes for 604 yards and four touchdowns over 10 games. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder also rushed 13 times for 78 yards and a touchdown, completed a 75-yard touchdown pass and gained 44 yards on four punt returns en route to third-team All-ACC honors.
The Commanders will open the 2026 regular season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
