Jameson Williams NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Alabama WR
HEIGHT: 6'1 1/2"
WEIGHT: 179
HAND: 9 1/4"
ARM: 32 1/8"
WINGSPAN: 6'3 7/8"
40-YARD DASH: DNP
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: DNP
VERTICAL: DNP
BROAD: DNP
POSITIVES
— Excellent athlete with game breaking acceleration and long speed. Gets north in a hurry and can hit a home run on any snap.
— Good with the ball in his hands because of his speed and balance. Can keep his feet bouncing off tacklers and create more yards after the catch.
— Good overall route-runner who can sink and stay tight on his breaks and stay friendly to the QB. Has a feel for space versus zone coverages.
— Not just a one-trick pony. Has the body control to be able to consistently start and stop on his routes and understands how to use tempo to keep DBs off-balance. Dangerous on double-moves.
— Above-average hands. Flashes the ability to make spectacular catches.
— Is a true weapon on kick returns with two TDs in 2021 season. Also asked to play on other special teams and has flashes of ace play.
NEGATIVES
— Has a slight frame and below-average play strength. Will crop up when dealing with press coverage and also with his ability to sustain while blocking.
— Has a tendency to body-catch throws at his body, which can lead to drops. Can be uncomfortable when catching in traffic.
2021 STATISTICS
15 G, 79 REC, 1,572 YDS (19.9 AVG), 15 TD
NOTES
— Transfer from Ohio State.
— 2021 first-team All-SEC.
— Suffered a torn ACL on January 10, 2022 in the National Championship game against Georgia.
OVERALL
Jameson Williams is an outside wide receiver with true home run speed that will translate to any NFL offense. He has excellent burst and long speed that lets him take the top off defenses on deep routes, but he can also split defenders on underneath throws and consistently create yards after the catch.
Although Williams' calling card is his overwhelming speed, he shows polish and nuance with his route running. He will tempo his routes to keep defenders off-balance and has good body control and balance to consistently stay tight when breaking on routes. This ability flashes the most on double-moves and makes him a tough guard for defenders throughout a game.
Williams has above-average hands and flashes good catching range, but he has a propensity to body-catch throws at him. This led to some drops in traffic and can make him a smaller target than preferred when in a crowd.
Williams has a slight frame that will be tested by more aggressive pressing cornerbacks in the NFL until he can consistently prove otherwise. His lack of weight and play strength will also show up in blocking, as he struggles to sustain.
Overall, Williams will be an immediate weapon for any NFL offense due to his speed and explosiveness and will walk into the league as one of its fastest and most dangerous players. He has more polish to his game that will allow him to do "true" WR things and will make him more than a one-trick pony, but he will need to continue to refine his technique to have answers against more physical cornerbacks.
Williams will be a contributor right away as a returner and home run threat and still has enough upside to make him a potential No. 1 option for a good NFL offense.
GRADE: 8.4 (Year 1 Starter - Late 1st-2nd Round)
OVERALL RANK: 15
POSITION RANK: WR3
PRO COMPARISON: DeSean Jackson