NFL Draft Bust Vault: WR Troy Williamson, Minnesota Vikings

Sep 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; A Minnesota Vikings helmet on the field before a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Following in the footsteps of legend Randy Moss is a lofty task. Moss may have been a headache to some but no one can doubt or ignore the stats that he posted. As the 2005 NFL Draft approached, it was plainly obvious that a receiver was needed to fill the monumental void as Moss was in the future plans of the Oakland Raiders. The number one receiver in the draft, Braylon Edwards, was already off the board and selected to be much-needed help in Cleveland. So the Vikes turned to Troy Williamson at 7th overall to carry the torch. Little did we know that the torch would be given away just a few seasons after Williamson was drafted.

Coming out of the University of South Carolina, Williamson was a clear deep threat. Averaging 19.3 yards per catch in his three seasons in Columbia, Williamson had NFL size at 6’1 204 lbs to go along with his skill set. With his blistering speed came a flaw that was hidden in the dark. Williamson didn’t have the greatest hands in the world. His nickname of “Wide Open” seemed cool yet what good is it to be considered always open when you have a multitude of dropped passes. To go into further detail, Williamson dealt with depth perception which made it difficult to track the ball when its in the air, which is clearly a no-win situation for a wide receiver.

Three seasons in Minnesota, 79 catches was his grand total. To put that in perspective, Steelers WR Antonio Brown totaled 136 catches this past 2015 season alone. What’s even worse is Williamson contributing only three touchdowns in those three seasons.

Williamson was traded to the Jaguars prior to the 2008 season. The new environment proved to be worse. Two seasons in Jacksonville, he only played in 10 games and only started two. Unfortunately, he played in more games than total catches as he only caught eight passes in his two seasons in Jacksonville.

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So what was it about Williamson? Was it the lofty expectations of being the guy after arguably the best WR in Vikings history? Or was it an act of negligence from the management in Minnesota? Regardless how the blame is sliced, three touchdowns in three seasons from the 7th overall pick is never worth hanging your hat on. Viewing it from a different angle, it’s somewhat complex to place the entire blame on the person when part of the pre-draft evaluations require respective teams conducting medical examinations.

Looking back on the talent that surfaced after Williamson in the 2005 draft (Aaron Rodgers, Thomas Davis, Roddy White, Logan Mankins), the drafting of him seems more and more puzzling. When you realize that depth perception was enough to set back a team and aid in a career ending prematurely, it’s eye-opening.

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