P.J. Williams to the New Orleans Saints: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

In the third round of the NFL draft, the New Orleans Saints further addressed the cornerback position with the selection of Florida State’s P.J. Williams.

The Saints nabbed Williams with the No. 78 overall pick, as they made him their third and final selection of Day 2 of the draft.

After fielding a subpar pass defense in 2014, New Orleans signed corner Brandon Browner during the first week of free agency. The Saints later agreed to deals with former New York Jets cover man Kyle Wilson and CFL standout Delvin Breaux.

New Orleans apparently wasn’t done shoring up the position, as the Saints snatched up Williams Thursday with their fifth selection of the draft.

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The former Seminole is coming off a standout collegiate career, and he was named second-team All-ACC in his senior year this past season. In 2013, Williams played a key role in Florida State’s undefeated run to the BCS National Championship. In fact, he was named defensive MVP of the Seminoles’ win over Auburn in the title game.  

Williams brings a lot to the table as a cover man. For starters, he has ideal height for a corner at 6’0”, and he’s solidly built at 194 pounds.

He excels in press-man coverage, and he has the hips that are necessary to stay with shifty wideouts. He’s adept at jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage, and he’s able to turn and run downfield on deep routes in impressive fashion.

If there’s one aspect of his game that stands out, it’s his physicality. He can be tenacious with receivers, and he brings a fighter’s mentality to the defensive backfield.

Against the run, Williams is better than most corners. When watching him on tape, it becomes obvious that his willingness to tackle played a big role in the Saints pulling the trigger on him. He never hesitates to charge up and contribute in run support, and he always plays with confidence, even after getting beat in coverage.

On the downside, Williams’ physical style of play will have to be tweaked in the NFL, as he too often puts his hands on receivers down the field in coverage. He also has issues with turning his head too late when attempting to locate the ball.

In New Orleans, he should be in the mix for playing time right away. While Browner and Keenan Lewis are the likely starters on the outside, the slot corner spots are up for grabs. In addition to the aforementioned Wilson and Breaux, the Saints also have Terrence Frederick in the fold, as well as 2014 rookies Brian Dixon and Stanley Jean-Baptiste.

Among these cornerbacks, there will likely be some healthy competition for playing time, and Williams should be able to insert himself into the thick of the race right away.

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There’s also the possibility that he could play some safety in New Orleans. He has the size and mental makeup for it, and he also has the football speed necessary to cover ground on the back end.

In Williams, the Saints drafted a balanced player who doesn’t really do any one thing great but does a lot of things well.

He should be able to come in and compete for the nickel spot in 2014, as the Saints look to improve their pass defense.