Early NFL Draft Look: Clemson Tigers WR Mike Williams
If your name is Mike Williams, apparently odds are you stand a chance of being a pretty solid NFL wide receiver prospect. If you play wide receiver at Clemson, odds are also pretty good you are going to be a solid NFL prospect.
If you’re a wide receiver at Clemson named Mike Williams? Well, you sir have got it made.
Clemson receiver Mike Williams enters 2015 as one of the most anticipated players at his position in the country after a breakout sophomore year in which the 6-4 receiver racked up over 1,000 yards and nearly 19 yards per reception with six touchdowns.
Williams proved he’s not just a big receiver that can dominate physically, too. He’s a player that can win in a variety of ways and already has the look of an NFL receiver after just two seasons of college football. Let’s take a look together at one of the NCAA’s best wideouts…
There are a couple of really impressive plays on this tape, but perhaps best of all is Williams’ sick diving touchdown catch in which he beats a double team downfield and into the end zone for a score.
One of the repeated themes in watching Williams play is that he can win deep, but he’s not necessarily the fastest guy on the field. He appears to be a very strong route runner for his age, and is someone who can split double teams downfield, win with physicality, or make plays after the catch.
What are you looking for in a wide receiver? Well, for me, Williams checks nearly all the boxes. He’s got the ideal measurables at 6-4 and already over 210 pounds. At the next level, he’ll be able to physically dominate most cornerbacks at that size. The next thing I check for if a guy has ideal size like Williams is whether or not he’s a ‘hands’ catcher or a body catcher.
Williams is a hands catcher, and that’s a good thing. He has big, strong hands with which he can snare the ball out of the air and make tough catches that receivers who let the ball into their body simply cannot make.
He also has a very good awareness of the field and feel for his routes. It’s exciting to watch a young receiver like this burning guys on double moves, running across the middle of the field on a deep post, and using technique to get outside leverage and make plays along the sideline working back upfield toward the line of scrimmage.
You get to see Williams do a little bit of everything in that video, and that’s really encouraging.
It’s certainly early, and his eligibility remains yet for two more years, but this has the look of a player that could be a very solid NFL prospect and perhaps a top tier receiver whenever he decides to leave school.
Because, you know, it pays to play at Clemson…