USC DT Leonard Williams Has Potential to Warrant a Top Pick in 2015 NFL Draft
Former USC Trojans defensive lineman Leonard Williams isn't Jadeveon Clowney. He's not Khalil Mack. He may not even be Aaron Donald or C.J. Mosley.
Yet he may be a top-three pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
That is the harsh reality of this class. It's simply not as good as last year's. It's not necessarily a bad draft. It's deep rather than top-heavy, so those picking in the top five have to measure their expectations.
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Williams is widely considered to be a top-three prospect this year. He is a consensus top-five pick.
Had the USC defensive lineman been part of the 2014 class, he likely would have still been considered a high first-rounder but likely not part of the top six or seven. Some fortune may have even been required to place him in the top 10.
Even though Williams' chances of being a great NFL player don't appear to be as high as those who preceded him last year, it's still very possible.
Of all the college players departing for the professional game this year, Williams may have the most elite-caliber potential. Others offer more explosiveness and dynamism—players such as Amari Cooper, Randy Gregory, Marcus Mariota, Dante Fowler and Kevin White come to mind—but Williams could surpass them with his consistent, well-rounded skill set.
That may not be a sexy description, but Williams isn't a sexy player.
He's the big interior defensive lineman who is relied upon to fend off double-teams and overpower blockers to get to the quarterback. He may be listed as a defensive end, but in the NFL his best work will likely come when he lines up between the tackles.
As a top-five pick at that position, the standard is set very high because of J.J. Watt's dominance.
Watt is the ideal; he is what NFL teams hope their top picks can turn into. His production, versatility and explosiveness as a pass-rusher have allowed him to excel during the early stages of what is looking like a Hall of Fame career.
Putting those expectations on Williams simply would be unfair.
Firstly, Watt and Williams are different types of players, even though they line up in the same area of the field. Watt is more explosive and can line up outside of the tackle against NFL-caliber athletes. Williams doesn't look set to do that. Instead, he will likely stay inside more, playing a Calais Campbell type of role.
Secondly, being a top-five pick is essentially meaningless. Top five only relates to the other players in your class. Therefore, during a year with no elite prospects, such as this one, players who would normally only be first-rounders are pushed up a tier higher than they should be.
While it may be unfair, expectations often don't adjust for this.
Instead of expecting Williams to be Watt, the hope should be that he could replicate the impact of Muhammad Wilkerson or Fletcher Cox. Wilkerson and Cox are both outstanding players.
The first thing that stands out with Williams is his build. He is a huge body but seemingly carries very little weight that works against him. He is thick rather than heavy, as his limbs appear to be as stout and strong as the core of his frame.
Williams' legs, in particular, stand out. He is essentially moving around on two tree trunks. This allows him to generate power through contact, but it also allows him to fend off hits to his lower body. This can be seen in the above play.
After being left unblocked, Williams advances downfield but shows awareness to not take himself out of the play. He is being trapped by a pulling blocker.
That pulling blocker is a tight end who dives at Williams' legs to try to knock him to the ground. Even though the tight end is smaller and less powerful than an offensive lineman, it was still very impressive how Williams simply braced his leg to brush off the trap attempt.
Not only does Williams fend off the trap attempt, but he is also able to maintain his balance to turn back and track the running back down from behind.
Williams has shown some more susceptibility to being cut by offensive linemen at the snap, but that concern is overshadowed by his ability to handle double-teams. Williams not only has the strength and power to fend off double-teams, but he also understands how to use his hands and feet to keep his balance.
On this play, Williams ultimately draws the attention of three offensive linemen.
He is initially engaged in a double-team when he comes off the snap. Williams doesn't attempt to take on both players at once; instead, he faces up the right guard before punching the center. The play is designed to move to Williams' left, so he is forced to readjust at that point.
When Williams moves back toward that side of the field, the right tackle is in perfect position to plant him on the ground.
Despite working from a less advantageous position, Williams is able to withstand that hit and maintain his balance. He works his way back around the other blockers before pursuing the quarterback into the flat. The quarterback releases the ball long before Williams can get there, but he shows off his quality regardless.
What multiplies Williams' value is his versatility as a run defender. He is not just a defensive lineman who can hold his own against double-teams.
The 20-year-old shows off awareness, discipline and technique as a run defender in different situations. On this play, he begins in a standing-up position on the edge. At the snap, Williams immediately moves infield while using his long arms to keep the right tackle off his body.
Williams is able to control the positioning of the right tackle while keeping his eyes on the running back in the backfield. This allows him to locate the back, but he still needs to redirect to stop him.
Even while fending off a blocker to hold his position at the line of scrimmage, Williams is able to plant his foot in the ground and redirect back to his other shoulder. His lateral movement, control and awareness are very valuable.
In today's NFL, run defenders have to work in space.
Although this play is a screen pass and not a running play, it shows off Williams' ability to redirect as well as his ability to read plays. Williams isn't ultimately involved at the end of the play, but he puts himself in a position to cover any potential cutback lanes.
One of the other notable aspects of this play is how Williams penetrates the backfield so quickly.
He shows off very quick hands and the upper-body fluidity to swim past the right tackle. Although offensive linemen will often let defensive linemen rush upfield easily on screen plays, the reaction of the right tackle suggests that this wasn't the case on this play.
Williams isn't exceptionally explosive as a pass-rusher, but he does have many plays that show off his overall agility, hand quickness and balance.
On this play, Williams plants his left foot outside of the tackle and works his hands in concert to slip his way past the inside shoulder of the right tackle. This kind of move can be very effective in the NFL, and it will be crucial in determining Williams' success as a pass-rusher.
Although Williams can take advantage of space, his primary value rushing the passer should come as an interior bull-rusher.
Williams obviously has the size and power to beat offensive linemen, but he also shows off a crucial understanding of how to concentrate that power through his hands. He has long arms that allow him to keep the blocker at a distance as he walks him backward on this play.
Even though Williams doesn't get close to the quarterback here, the ability to push the pocket consistently is a lot more important than sacks for an interior rusher in the NFL.
It can be hard to sell Williams as a fascinating storyline for this year's draft. With players such as Mariota and Jameis Winston drawing most of the headlines, Williams will probably continue to fall into the shadows as the draft process develops.
Ultimately, that won't have any effect on what Williams does in the NFL. It only means that arguably one of the players with the most potential in the class will be somewhat overlooked as the boring option this year.
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