Karlos Williams: Seminoles RB 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Report

The 2015 NFL Draft running back class has been praised for being a very bright spot in a rather dreary draft class. Florida State Seminoles RB Karlos Williams is a part of that group, and while not looked at as highly as others in this class, he provides excellent game-film to break down to project his success at the next level.

Florida State has a few other draft prospects (isn’t there that Winston guy?), but Williams could end up being the one that makes the most difference in the NFL. Here’s a scouting report of how he breaks down as an NFL prospect…

STRENGTHS

Williams is a big, bruising back that you like to see running out of the backfield. He uses his legs to get extra yardage, and can move the pile effectively. Despite his size and some limitations in his game, Williams has surprisingly decent speed. He isn’t going to run a 4.3 40-yard dash, but he has the potential to surprise some people in open space.

Pass-blocking is a real plus here. Williams has a clear knowledge of his responsibilities in passing situations, and does the job very well. He isn’t used as a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, but FSU has been able to have an effective and healthy Jameis Winston due to the good skills in pass-pro by Williams.

Here’s what our Sayre Bedinger had to say before the season got started:

"Williams as a running back is a combination of size, power, speed, cutback ability, and an overall physical style. It’s impressive to see a guy of his size cut and move around like he does, but it’s Florida State so I shouldn’t be surprised.He is a back with thick, strong legs, and he uses that lower body strength to keep his legs churning at the end of plays to pick up extra yardage and to make it a chore for defenders to have to bring him down."

WEAKNESSES

Obviously with a big back, you’ll be seeing some limitations. Williams doesn’t have elite quickness and fails to beat defenders to the edge. He will struggle outside of the tackles, potentially making him a one-dimensional back. One thing he could improve on is hitting the hole a bit harder. If he can find a burst on the first few steps, he can be really effective at the next level.