Karlos Williams to Buffalo: Full Draft-Pick Breakdown

The Tallahassee-to-Orchard Park pipeline continued in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft, when the Buffalo Bills selected Florida State Seminoles running back Karlos Williams with the No. 155 overall pick.

Any preconceived thoughts fans had about the Bills' draft coming into the weekend can officially be thrown out the window. General manager Doug Whaley and head coach Rex Ryan have been utterly unpredictable with two of their first three picks as a war-room tandem, again picking a player at a position of strength.

The Bills could have addressed the running back spot in the sixth or seventh round with a developmental player—not so much in the fifth. That may be splitting hairs, with only a 33-pick difference between their fifth- and sixth-round selections, but it’s a relatively lofty pick for a player who could struggle to make the final 53-man roster.

Williams has the size and talent to be an NFL running back, but he needs to work through some of the issues he had at Florida State with a fine-tooth comb.

Who Is Karlos Williams?

Before the flurry of moves involving running backs over the last 12 months, Williams would have been a great fit for the Bills in former head coach Doug Marrone’s zone-blocking scheme. But Marrone is long gone, and offensive coordinator Greg Roman’s power-blocking scheme does not fit Williams’ skill set as well.

Williams had a solid junior season in 2013 behind one of the best offensive lines in college football while serving as the backup ball-carrier. The national champion Seminoles lost center Bryan Stork to the 2014 draft, though, and Williams wasn’t nearly as good in his first season as the starter.

By the end of the season, Williams lost his job to Dalvin Cook and was relegated to spot duty until an impressive effort in a loss to Oregon in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. The bulky back averaged eight yards per carry during his junior season, which was nearly cut in half in a lackluster senior year.

Williams showcased natural ability at the position during his junior season despite switching over from safety, where he played throughout his first two years at Florida State.

Williams' combination of size and speed is an appealing aspect of his game. Standing at 6’1”, the former Seminoles ball-carrier timed at 4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash. The burst and natural strength make him an imposing player to bring down, especially when he gets up to full speed.

A negative side of his size is that he won’t make anyone miss in the open field and will likely have to become a pure downhill runner at the NFL level. Bills director of player personnel Jim Monos echoed that sentiment right after the pick.

What Comes Next?

Adding Williams creates a serious logjam at the running back position, and it doesn’t say good things about Ryan's feelings toward Bryce Brown. The Bills traded a fourth-round pick for Brown last year, one of Whaley’s misses in the marketplace.

Both Brown and Bills legend Fred Jackson have their contracts set to expire at the end of the season, becoming unrestricted free agents in January. Rumors suggested that the Bills were debating letting Jackson go before new owner Terry Pegula intervened to keep the future Ring of Famer on the team, as detailed by ESPN.com's Mike Rodak. Either way, Jackson might not play for the Bills after this year and could retire at the age of 35.

LeSean McCoy will be the starter until he isn’t effective as a runner any longer, which gives the Bills a chance to develop Williams into a better all-around player.

The skills are there, but he needs serious refinement to make the selection worth it in the end.