Florida State CB P.J. Williams NFL Draft Scouting Notebook

The 2015 NFL Draft class of cornerbacks seems pretty underwhelming at the top, but one player that is generating a lot of first round hype lately is Florida State’s P.J. Williams, and for good reason.

Williams, the defensive MVP of Florida State’s 2014 BCS Championship win over Auburn, is a big, fast, athletic defensive back that can play a variety of positions. He’s aggressive, and is one of the fastest players on a team full of phenomenal athletes.

That being said, there is plenty about Williams that leaves me scratching my head. He left school a year early, which is understandable because he’ll likely be one of the top four or five corners selected this season. His physical skill set at 6-0 196 pounds is something that alone will intrigue NFL scouts. His willingness to support against the run and shed blocks, fight through traffic, and attack the football are all traits that will have scouts drooling.

The issue with Williams at this point is not his physical tools or his ability and willingness to tackle, it’s how raw he is in coverage one-on-one, especially with bigger, more crafty receivers. In the games I’ve watched of Williams, he can be tested downfield more often than you’d like to see, even out of a young defensive back. he allows receivers to get a free release off the line of scrimmage and often relies on his natural athletic ability to hang with them downfield, but I noticed a lot that he doesn’t track the ball in the air and turn his head as often as he should.

More from NFL Mocks

That is something that can be coached, and his fluidity and hip movement will definitely lend toward a future starting role as an outside cornerback, but he should have a successful start to his NFL career as a nickel defensive back, where he can utilize what he does the best — blitz, and attack the quarterback.

Watch any game of Williams’, and you’ll see him blitzing from his cornerback position more than probably any other defensive back I’ve scouted in the last few years. And he’s really good at it.

Williams has a really good feel for the snap count and times his blitzes really well. He makes some really nice plays behind the line of scrimmage not just against the quarterback, but recognizes the play quickly and attacks the football as well as any corner you’ll see.

These traits all added up lead me to believe Williams will wind up as a mid-late first round pick, but if I were a GM I’d be more comfortable getting him in the second round. I think he’s going to take some time to develop into a perimeter defensive back, specifically in terms of figuring out how to be more physical with bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage and not allowing inside leverage as often. His recovery speed and burst are excellent, and he can blitz really well, which leads me to believe he might be better utilized as a mismatch nickel cornerback.

Home/NFL Draft