2015 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: DL Leonard Williams

An idea that has an outside shot of happening is Leonard Williams falling to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8. However, should it happen, the Falcons should definitely consider it as Williams would provide a great long-term complement to Ra'Shede Hageman within Dan Quinn's scheme.

Williams is arguably the best player in the draft, but with the value of quarterbacks and other positions superseding interior defensive line spots, he becomes a potential option for the Falcons should he slip to No. 8 overall. He'd fit in well for the schemes and could be a dominant player under Coach Quinn.

Leonard Williams

Interior Defensive Lineman

University of Southern California

Combine/Pro Day Measurements

Height: 6'4-5/8" Weight: 302 pounds

Arm Length: 34-5/8" Hand Measurement: 10-5/8"

40-yard dash: 4.97 sec. 10-yard split: 1.72 sec.

20-yard shuttle: 4.53 sec. 3-cone Drill: 7.59 sec.

Vertical Jump: 29.5" Broad Jump: 8'10"

Stats (from CFB Stats)

2014: 13 Games Played, 80 Tackles, 9.5 Tackles for Loss, 7.0 Sacks, 2 QB Hurries, 1 Interception, 3 Fumbles Forced, 3 Pass Deflections

2013: 13 Games Played, 73 Tackles, 12.5 Tackles for Loss, 5.0 Sacks, 4 QB Hurries, 1 Fumble Forced, 1 Blocked Kick

2012: 13 Games Played, 64 Tackles, 13.5 Tackles for Loss, 8.0 Sacks, 1 Interception, 4 Pass Deflections

Scouting Report

Strengths

Williams jumps off the screen athletically when you pop in the Southern Cal tape. He is explosive off the line and has great lateral agility. He's also strong as an ox and understands how to bull rush his way back into a quarterback. He's made quite a few offensive linemen feel embarrassed after tossing them aside.

He's got a ton of experience as a three-year starter and has learned to become an exceptional run defender who can shed lineman easily with his advanced hand usage. This also carries over to his pass-rushing moves with a high-level swim and a great rip move as well. He also rarely misses tackles.

Weaknesses

There are a couple questions regarding Williams' game, and they relate primarily to his leverage and tendency to get too upright at times. It's a similar problem that Hageman had early in his rookie year. Defensive line coach Brian Cox will have to work with him on how to adjust his stance to maximize leverage.

He also has trouble anticipating the snap at times, and because of it, his first step doesn't look as explosive as it could be. Williams also has questions about his pursuit angles looking off at times. Then, the final concern relates to his injury history with both shoulder and ankle injuries occurring in college.

How does he fit the Comrade Filter?

As one of the Southern Cal captains in 2014, Williams showed that he was a team leader and someone who could be counted on to help motivate the team and show a positive example to the younger, more easily influenced talent with his work ethic.

Williams also has never been arrested nor suspended. Add in his large amount of production with 35.5 tackles for loss and 20.0 sacks during his three seasons at Southern Cal, and the Falcons have an ideal fit whose only potential ding is his junior status.

Overview

Very few defensive linemen come out with the potential that Leonard Williams has. Even though he may never become someone as good as Ndamukong Suh or J.J. Watt, he has a chance to be in that second tier of interior defensive linemen with guys like Geno Atkins and Gerald McCoy.

McCoy is honestly his best comparison too. He won't ever be a 15-20 sack defensive tackle, but he should be able to get anywhere from four to seven sacks and play excellent run defense every year. He collapses the pocket and forces double-teams that will make it easier for his edge-rushers to make an impact.

How he would fit into the Falcons' plans

The Falcons would have to truly luck out for Williams to be sitting there at No. 8 overall in the draft. He's too good of a prospect and fits a need too well for multiple teams picking ahead of them. That being said, Williams would give the Falcons an ideal 3-technique defensive tackle for multiple situations.

Putting Williams next to Hageman on passing downs would create a pair of massive, yet highly athletic defensive tackles to contend with. Using Paul Soliai as the nose tackle with those two as a 5-technique end and a 3-technique under tackle eating blocks would only make the run defense that much better.

All stats used are from Pro Football Focus' Premium Stats, ESPN.com, CFBStats or NFL.com. All combine and pro day info is courtesy of NFLDraftScout.com. All contract information is courtesy of Spotrac.

Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, college football, the NFL and the NFL draft. He's also a Draft Analyst for Pro Football Spot.

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