Antwione Williams NFL Draft 2016: Scouting Report, Grade for Lions Rookie

POSITIVES

A small-school stud, Antwione Williams has NFL size and production, and he is generating big interest with his resume complete at Georgia Southern. The team leader in tackles in 2015, Williams was credited with 97 tackles and four forced fumbles.

Williams has the size and build of an NFL linebacker, and from a physical perspective he’s ready to go right out of the gate. A fast, sideline-to-sideline linebacker on tape, Williams can get into the backfield on delayed blitzes and flush the pocket.

As a tackler, Williams dominated the competition. He’s a strong wrap-up player, but he also makes smart reads and finds himself near the ball consistently. His eyes are taking him to the play; he’s not just winning with speed. He’s explosive against the run and has the power to anchor against blockers.

Williams is a leader, and that shows with his passionate, vocal play on the field. If he produced at Alabama the way he did at Georgia Southern, we’d be talking about a first-rounder.

NEGATIVES

Level of competition will be the first thing NFL teams discuss with Williams. He may have dominated lower levels of play, but he’s untested against pro-caliber size and speed. An arm injury in 2013 will also get checked.

Williams didn’t test as well as expected, and a recheck of the tape shows a tight-hipped linebacker with stiffness when changing direction. He doesn’t let his hips fly open when running laterally and lacks explosion there.

When latched onto a blocker, Williams gets stuck if his burst doesn’t free him. He must learn to use his hands to disengage and work to always keep an arm free instead of catching the blocker with two hands. He disappeared at times when playing up against better blockers and didn’t wow with discovery and decision-making against those FBS teams he faced.

Williams’ inconsistent reading of the ball at Georgia Southern will be a big debate topic from NFL teams. If he can’t handle that level, how will he do against pro offenses?

COMBINE RESULTS

Height: 6'2 ¾"

Weight: 240 lbs.

40 Time: 4.80s

3-Cone: 7.03s

Short Shuttle: 4.80s

PRO COMPARISON: Zach Vigil, Miami Dolphins
FINAL GRADE: 5.00/9.00 (Priority Free Agent)