NFL Draft 2011: Aaron Williams Prospect Profile

Depending on who you listen to, it’s been said that former Texas Longhorn’s cornerback Aaron Williams could go anywhere from the late first round, to the early second round in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft.  Williams brings a unique talent to the position and could be a starter right away depending on where he goes in the draft.

Let’s take a look at Williams; what makes him a strong prospect, what could hold him back in the draft and where he might end up at the end of the month.

Williams possesses good height and weight for the position, coming in at just a shade under 6'0" and weighing 204 pounds.  There are some experts that think that he could be switched to safety successfully and that may happen once he gets into the NFL.

Williams will be able to stay with most receivers going down the field, thanks to his speed and ability to get up high with taller receivers and swat the ball away, or come down with the interception.  His vertical leap (measured at 37.5) is outstanding, and he will be a force battling for the ball in the air.  He has nice mechanics when dropping back into coverage and staying with receivers, and has a smooth transition from the backpedal to coverage.  Williams is able to follow the eyes of receivers to help him know when to start tracking the ball in the air.  He can watch the quarterback’s eyes when not covering receivers and make a break for the ball to try and intercept it.

Williams possesses a quick change of direction and moves around the field very well.  He is able to control his body well and puts himself in great position to make a play on the ball.  He isn’t afraid to make a tackle and doesn’t mess up on his assignments.

Williams didn’t have that productive of a season in 2010, or for the rest of his career for that matter.  He will need to prove that he can be much more productive in the NFL.  If anything, this lack of production may drop him down a bit in the eyes of scouts.

While he does have good size for the cornerback position, he does appear to look like he’s thin. The team that drafts him may ask him to add a little more weight to fill out his frame.  This may push him into the safety position. 

There are some things that Williams needs to do to improve his mechanics and his position when it comes to covering receivers, but he should get plenty of help with that in the NFL.

Williams has been talked about as being a potential late-first to early-second round pick in the upcoming draft.  Right now, there are some people who have him going as high as high as No. 26 to Baltimore, but he’s more likely to go early in the draft’s second round.

Williams should have a pretty good career in the NFL and could develop into a Pro Bowl player at some point.