Terrance Williams: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Baylor WR

After leading the nation in receiving yards (1,832) in 2012, Baylor receiver Terrance Williams is ready for the NFL scene.

A player that progressively improved with the Bears, Williams just dominated college defenses with his dynamic ability outside the numbers.   

If four years of NCAA ball taught us anything about Williams as a pass-catcher, it’s that he is a pure vertical threat. And from a physical standpoint, he possesses the measurables to be problematic for defenses at the next level.

Williams is big, fast, strong and has that element of game-breaking ability. Organizations in need of a complementary receiver that can take the top of the defense will give Williams a hard look in 2013.

Heading into April’s draft, the Baylor product projects as an early- to mid-rounder—of course depending on how the board falls. And as the draft nears, the talk surrounding the All-American has been brewing, offering all sorts of perspectives.

For all you need to know, check out the following slides profiling Terrance Williams.  

Background

Hometown: Dallas, Texas

Birthday: September 18, 1989 (23)

High School: W.T. White High School

School: Baylor

Major: General studies

Year: Senior

As a 2-star recruit from W.T. White High School in Dallas, Williams had to work to prove himself once he reached the college ranks. Before committing to Baylor, he listened to Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma (per Rivals). 

Baylor and Colorado State ended up as the lone teams that reportedly made offers. With that being the case, Williams went the popular route and accepted the in-state offer, heading to Waco, Texas. 

As a low-ranked high school prospect, Williams went on to become one of the most prolific receivers in college football during his tenure. 

Statistics

2009: 4 games, 2 catches, 21 yards, 0 touchdowns, 5.2 YPG

2010: 13 games, 43 catches, 484 yards, 4 touchdowns, 37. 2 YPG

2011: 12 games, 59 catches, 957 yards, 11 touchdowns, 79.7 YPG

2012: 13 games, 97 catches, 1,832, 12 touchdowns, 140.9 YPG

According to Rivals, Williams was only a 2-star recruit coming out of high school in Dallas. As such, the Bears were not pressed to force him into the lineup, especially before he was ready. As a the years went on, Baylor got him more and more involved. 

As a junior in 2011, Williams saw a huge jump in his game with then-QB Robert Griffin III. After RGIII and fellow receiver Kendall Wright left for the NFL, there was concern that Williams might not be as effective.

However, Williams proved the doubters wrong, going on to have one of the most productive seasons in NCAA history. As a senior, he had the opportunity to stand out as the offensive star and show he is a player that teams can lean on.

And looking at the big picture, scouts have to love his increased production each season. In every conceivable category, Williams bested the year prior. That sort of progression is encouraging for NFL teams looking to make an investment.  

Combine Results

Measurables

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 208 pounds

Arm Length: 31.25"

Hands: 8.75"

Combine Results 

Grade: 83.6

40-Yard Dash: 4.52 seconds

Bench Press: 11 reps

Vertical Jump: 32.5 inches

Broad Jump: 119.0 inches

Three-Cone Drill: 7.01 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.32 seconds

At the scouting combine, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle asked Williams about his decision to stay in school for his senior year:

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A very good one—because my mom, she wanted me to finish school. And I just felt like I needed to be more consistent than I was last year. And that helped out a lot because I felt like I got better week by week and my performances were way different than they were last year. I was more consistent catching the ball and being a playmaker.

"

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People just predict the draft like they know where everybody is going..Everybody don't know what's going to happen til that day. #NFLDraft

— Terrance Williams (@TerranceWill2) March 26, 2013

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In late March, Williams made the decision to stand on his combine numbers, only participating in positional drills when it came time for the Baylor pro day (h/t NFL Draft Scout).

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Representatives from 27 NFL teams gathered at the pro day held at Baylor on Wednesday, where 14 players went through a workout held indoors on FieldTurf. Dallas Cowboys wide receivers coaches Derek Dooley and Keith O’Quinn, as well as Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan were among the noteworthy attendees in Waco, Texas.

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Combine results via NFL.com

Interesting Facts

In high school, Terrance Williams ranked 78th on Dallas Morning News' Area Top 100 list (h/t Baylor U). And as mentioned in a prior slide, Williams hails from W.T. White High School in Dallas, which has boasted several other pros in sports. 

• Other notable sports alumni:
  • Jean Barrett (1968)—former NFL offensive lineman 1973-1980, San Francisco 49ers
  • Trey Beamon (1992)—former Major League Baseball outfielder 1996-98, Pittsburgh Pirates, San Diego Padres, Detroit Tigers
  • Bryan Holaday (2006)—Major League Baseball catcher for the Detroit Tigers
  • Calvin Murray (1989)—former Major League Baseball outfielder 1999-2004, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers, Chicago Cubs
  • Ramón Núñez (2003)—English Football League Championship midfielder for Leeds United, Honduras national team 2007–present 
  • Wiley Turner (1975)—Green Bay Packers and Winnipeg Blue Bombers
  • Jason Smith (2004)—Offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams
  • Scott Verplank (1982)—professional golfer

Despite all of the football talent to come through the state of Texas, Williams became the most decorated receiver in Baylor history. 

Williams was named a unanimous first-team All-American in 2012, becoming the sixth in the program’s history. He would join DL Bill Glass (1956), LB Mike Singletary (1980), DB Thomas Everett (1986), DL Santana Dotson (1991) and P Daniel Sepulveda (2006) among the school's elite. 

And as you can see, Williams is Baylor's first offensive skill position player to be named a unanimous All-American (h/t Baylor U). His astounding 4,554 career all-purpose yards is a Bears record, one that may stand for some time.

Williams also set Baylor's single-game records with 17 receptions and 314 receiving yards in a shootout with West Virginia (2012). And his single-season receiving yards (1,832) set a new best in school history, surpassing the previous mark held by first-rounder Kendall Wright (1,663). 

In four years, he averaged 16.4 yards per catch. 

His ability as a chunk-yardage receiver made him a two-time All-Big 12 honoree (2011, 2012) and a Biletnikoff Award finalist in his senior year. 

A Dallas native, Williams compared his game to Cowboys receiver Miles Austin (h/t ESPN Unite); "Because I just feel like he can just be in the right spots at the right time. And just takes what the defense gives him.”

Observations

According to NFL Draft Scout, Terrance Williams is the eighth-ranked wide receiver available out of 348 prospects.

From the 2013 Senior Bowl practice, NFL draft analyst Rob Rang reported on Williams, bringing to light some concerns regarding the Baylor receiver’s hands (h/t NFL Draft Scout):

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Just as they did Monday, Georgia's Tavarres King and Louisiana Tech's Quinton Patton each enjoyed strong practices. The same, however, couldn't be said for Baylor's Terrance Williams, who repeatedly dropped passes. One longtime NFL scout commented that Williams, NFLDraftScout.com's No. 52-rated prospect overall, appeared to be much more comfortable tracking passes over his shoulder than passes facing him.

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This highlights one of several doubts about his game:

1. Projects as purely a boundary receiver
2. Catches the ball with his body, not his hands
3. Displays an inability or unwillingness to run across the middle
4. Not the type of receiver that is going to fight for extra yardage

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I like Baylor WR Terrance Williams as a vertical threat. He needs more polish getting in/out of breaks but he's a weapon. Mid-Late 2nd rd

— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) March 26, 2013"

Then there are reports from those like ESPN's KC Joyner, who labeled Williams one of his most undervalued prospects in the 2013 draft (h/t ESPN):

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Reason undervalued: Age and 40-yard dash time

Williams was the surprise winner of a recent study I did for ESPN Insider reviewing nine of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2013 NFL draft.

He topped the group in the overall yards per attempt (YPA), vertical yards per attempt (VYPA, which measures productivity on passes thrown 11 or more yards downfield) and stretch vertical yards per attempt (SVYPA, which gauges production on aerials thrown 20 or more yards).

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As Joyner's research shows, Williams is an efficient vertical threat.  

And given his roots, the word around the campfire is that the Dallas Cowboys are in play for Terrance Williams. The Baylor product has been linked to the team in several hometown news outlets, including the Dallas Morning News, Forth Worth Star-Telegram and NBC Dallas.

The Cowboys were one of seven teams Williams made a pre-draft visit with. 

And as mentioned in the prior slide, Dallas had representatives at his pro day, which included their receivers coaches. With Williams having grown up as a Cowboys fan, the interest appears to be mutual at this point.

And while both parties may favor the fit, there are 31 other teams in the league and anything can happen on draft day. Remember, the Cowboys are not the only team representing the state of Texas. 

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Baylor WR Terrance Williams on if he’d like to play for the #Texans: “That would be great. I think I’d fit in good there.” #NFLCombine

— Nick Scurfield (@NickScurfield) February 22, 2013"

Pro comparison, via NFL.com: Torrey Smith (WR, Baltimore Ravens)