#3 BUST-O-METER: Trent Williams

BUST-O-METER

The NFL Draft is suppose to be a time where teams fill their rosters with young promising players that will ensure success in the future, unfortunately this isn’t always the case. Year in and Year out players are selected and fail to live up to their potential and are labeled BUSTS. These Busts could potentially have a crippling affect on a franchises future. Some of the more famous draft Busts are Ryan Leaf, Akili Smith, Lawrence Phillips, and Ki-Jana Carter. How a bust is determined is too undefined to get into details about.

A prime example is the 6 straight losing seasons following the Bengals failure to develop Akili Smith into a capable NFL starter. Compare that to the 6 straight winning seasons produced by the Chargers after drafting Phillip Rivers in 2004. Of course these players are not solely responsible for their team’s success or failures but they did have a major impact.

After looking over the players projected to go in the first round I was amazed how many gave me an uneasy feeling. This week we are going to count down the top 10 players with the most bust potential. I encourage that all the readers get involved and suggest potential busts of the week. Leave comments to help me feel better about a player or continue to add on the pile.

Player:

Trent Williams- T- Oklahoma

BUST-O-METER:

8 out of 10

Thoughts:

Trent Williams comes in at number 3 on our BUST-O-METER countdown.  Williams plays the coveted left tackle position and is considered one of the best left tackle prospects in this year’s draft.  During his career at Oklahoma Williams played 3 seasons at right tackle and 1 season at left tackle.  Williams was considered one of the best right tackles in college football but moved to the left tackle position for his senior year.  The switch in position was not completely seamless, and there was a transition period that had scouts question his long term future at the position.  The knock on Williams was that he was not athletic enough to play left tackle.  There are also question marks on Williams’ technique and how long the adjustment period might be for him.

Now while there are question marks on Williams this doesn’t mean he won’t be a successful NFL player.  The problem comes in that he stock has risen due to an impressive performance at the combine.  Prior to the combine Williams was in the 10- 20 range and how he is in the 5-10 range.  His rise up the draft boards could lead to disappointment.  Prior to the combine teams were mainly focusing on game tape but they now have adjusted their thoughts because of numbers.  If Williams is unable to cut it as a left tackle it will be hard to justify a top 10 pick for a right tackle, there for he will be considered a BUST!

Leave some comments… we want to hear your thoughts!!!