2016 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Clemson, WR, Mike Williams
Apr 11, 2015; Clemson, SC, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) runs the ball in for a touchdown during the first half of the Clemson spring game at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports
Clemson WR Mike Williams suffered one of the more scarier injuries this year in College Football during his teams first game. After colliding with the goal post and suffering a small fracture in his neck, Williams is expected to miss the rest of the season which opens up his NFL evaluation. Here is my scouting report on this talented wide receiver.
Background
Junior Mike Williams is a tall physical specimen at 6’4 220 lbs. He has started 15 games out of 27 played at Clemson. During the 2014 season Williams caught 57 passes for 1030 yards a six touchdowns.
Strengths
+ Size: Williams uses his size and frame to win on jump balls and simply out muscle cornerbacks. He is nearly impossible for college defensive backs to cover, he is hard to press because of his size and speed combination. His size makes him an instant red zone threat in the NFL.
+ Speed: A player with his size usually does not have the long range speed and burst like he does. He should run a 4.4 40 yard dash at the combine. He runs past most cornerbacks in college thanks to his long strides and quick burst off the line. He has quickness and wiggle you would not expect for someone of that size. With the ball in his hands he is able to make people miss especially on screen passes. Williams is a threat with the ball in his hands at any time.
+ YAC Skills: One of his better attributes is his yards after the catch abilities. Clemson used Williams on plenty of WR screens that would work rarely end in a negative gain. He runs through arm tackles like its nothing thanks to his size and it usually takes more than one defenders to bring him down. In the open field Williams uses his deceptive quickness and agility to make defenders miss to go along with his solid vision makes him a threat to take it to the house at any given moment.
+ Strong Hands: Williams posses some of the strongest hands you will see from a prospect this year outside of Laquon Treadwell. I did not see one if any drops while watching him on film. Not a body catcher at all, he plucks the ball out of the air and brings it down fast. With defenders draped over him, Williams still finds a way to come down with the ball on most occasions. I did not see him fumble in the five games I watched of his, when the ball has a chance to be caught Williams will bring it down more than not.
+Potential: This one of my favorite traits of his. Williams really only has one season of full starter snaps under his belt with probably the best yet to come. He still can get a lot better in so many facets of his game with more game experience and practice. Potentially there are not many with higher upside than Williams in this years class. His route running is raw and needs to learn how to use his body a little more on deep throws. Sky is the limit for Williams if he puts it all together.
Weaknesses
– Route Running: Williams only really ran four routes in college, go routes, slants, digs and quick outs. In the NFL route running is one of the most important traits of a WR, if you can’t get open how are you going to get the ball. A few times too many I saw him stumble on routes and get tangled with CBs. Williams was able to get away with his freakish athleticism in college but in the NFL he will need to learn a whole new route tree. The learning curve could be some what of a challenge for Williams but he is talented enough to pick up on it quick and learn in no time.
– Raw: Like I said in the previous weakness, he is a raw route runner but that should improve with more practice. Williams is raw in a few areas of his game that need to get straightened out by a NFL coach. He shows stiffness when the ball is in the air at times and can really utilize his athleticism more on deep balls.
Final Thoughts:
Mike Williams is one of the top WRs in this years class and I think his best bet is to enter the draft when this season is over. He will be one of the top guys selected and could be a late first round early second selection. I gave him a draft grade of 7.8/10 which translates into a potential high-end starter in the NFL. Williams will be one of the higher graded WRs in this class and should keep himself inside my top three wide outs all year-long.