Leonard Williams Declares for 2015 NFL Draft: Latest Details and Reaction

Arguably the best pure talent in the 2015 class, versatile USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams has declared for the NFL draft.   

According to the program: Williams announced that he will forego his senior season with the Trojans to being his pro career:

Time will tell if Williams ends up being the first player taken, but scouts have been raving about his potential for months.

In November, one NFL talent evaluator told Sam Farmer of The Los Angeles Times that Williams exceeded his expectations:

"

Before I went in there, I thought this guy had a lot of hype. When I saw him, I thought he is the real deal. He's got a great body, quick off the ball. He did have that shoulder surgery, so he's a little bit behind strength-wise, but he still has plenty of strength. He's got tremendous upside, and he's definitely a consideration for that top pick...

"

Dane Brugler of CBS Sports was asked on Twitter how Williams compared to Ndamukong Suh, who was taken second overall by the Detroit Lions in 2010:

"

Suh. Williams a notch below RT @WilliamsonNFL Better prospect coming out of college: Leonard Williams or Suh?

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) November 14, 2014"

Williams may not be in the same tier as Suh yet, the fact that the comparison to where they stood as pro prospects isn't outrageous tells you how talented the USC star is and how high the ceiling can climb. 

This era of the NFL, where quarterbacks and the passing game have taken over, finding a defensive lineman capable of getting after the passer is essential. The market has exploded in recent years with huge contracts for those kinds of players, like Suh presumably will this offseason and J.J. Watt did with Houston. 

While Williams has a long way to go before getting into the category of those players, his raw potential and performance at USC suggest that kind of impact is buried in there waiting to come out with time and experience.