Auburn junior wide receiver Seth Williams will enter the 2021 NFL Draft after an inconsistent but promising stint with the Tigers.
Coming out of high school, Williams was a highly recruited player who passed on a chance at playing for Alabama in favor of Auburn. He made an immediate impression, scoring five times (tied for team lead), which helped him earn SEC honors as a freshman.
The 2019 season saw Williams’ trajectory continue upward, finishing with team-highs as a receiver (59-830-8). A statistical downturn came in 2020 as quarterback Bo Nix struggled with inconsistency. Nevertheless, Williams still led the team in receiving.
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 211 pounds
40 time: 4.50 seconds
Auburn’s pro day gave Williams a chance to showcase his measurements and on-field performance in drills. He didn’t hurt himself draft-wise, but it’s tough to expect his stock will climb much higher than the early portion of Round 3.
Table: Seth Williams NCAA stats (2018-20)
|
Year
|
School
|
Class
|
Pos
|
Gm*
|
Receiving
|
Rushing
|
||||||
|
Rec
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
Att
|
Yds
|
Avg
|
TD
|
|||||
|
2018
|
Auburn
|
FR
|
WR
|
10
|
26
|
534
|
20.5
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
—
|
0
|
|
2019
|
Auburn
|
SO
|
WR
|
12
|
59
|
830
|
14.1
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
—
|
0
|
|
2020
|
Auburn
|
JR
|
WR
|
11
|
47
|
760
|
16.2
|
4
|
0
|
0
|
—
|
0
|
|
Career
|
33
|
132
|
2,124
|
16.1
|
17
|
0
|
0
|
—
|
0
|
|||
*includes postseason/bowl games
Pros
- Quality size and build for an NFL possession receiver
- Strong frame allows him to out-muscle smaller cornerbacks
- Brings a combination of size and leaping skills to the red zone — displays ability to box out defenders, likely a trait from playing high school basketball
- Has functional pro-caliber speed once he reaches top gear
- Massive wingspan (81 1/8 inches)
- Displays above-average skill with his hand fighting against defenders — subtly chops and swipes away enemy mitts to improve his chances of a clean grab
- Willing, if not aggressive, blocker in the running game
- While not elusive in the “wow” sense, he has some ability after the catch, demonstrating a stop-start move with respectable results
- Happy to do the dirty work over the middle of the field and take a lickin’ from defenders
Cons
- Lacks suddenness and explosion in his game — long-striding naturally limits his acceleration
- While his straight-line speed is adequate, foot quickness could be a problem at the next level when trying to create separation
- Will need to improve his hands at the line of scrimmage when facing press coverage
- Inconsistent hands catching the ball — made a few special receptions but also missed some easy ones
- More of an effort blocker than anything — too many instances of poor technique that will get him in trouble as a pro
- Struggled against high-level competition over the course of his career (one TD in eight games vs. Georgia, LSU and Alabama combined)
- Doesn’t always look like he is giving it 100 percent, especially when the ball isn’t going his way
- Inconsistent production and a statistical drop-off in 2020 warrants a closer look (QB play was an issue)
- Hard to know exactly what he is as a route runner due to the simplicity of Auburn’s system
- Questionable ability as a deep receiver in the NFL, despite averaging 16.1 yards per catch at Auburn
- Could be relegated to exclusively playing from the slot in sub packages if he cannot routinely beat press on the outside
- Modest ceiling-to-floor ratio
Fantasy football outlook
His final landing spot obviously determines Williams’ ultimate worth in fantasy, but the two forecasts — in a generalized sense — point to a career-long utility guy.
The long-term outlook could see him carve out a role as a trusted weapon in the red zone for his quarterback, and there’s some upside to that for fantasy purposes, but unless he is coached into being a better player early in his career, Williams could flame out in a hurry.
There are a few worthwhile player comparison to help give a better picture of his fantasy football spectrum of value. In the best-case scenario, he’s a healthy version of Alshon Jeffery or Courtland Sutton and develops into a fringe WR1 or capable No. 2. In the middle tier is someone like a Brandon LaFell or Mohamed Sanu — serviceable in a pinch in fantasy, good for a bye week or a short-term injury, but no one gamers are clamoring to roster. Worst-case, Williams struggles to improve the nuances and doesn’t live out of his rookie contract on the same roster.
Luckily, fake footballers in single-year leagues mostly can ignore him (depending on where he is drafted), and dynasty owners will have little investment required to find out the hard way just what Williams can become.
Teams most likely to be linked to Williams include the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Washington Football Team, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.
The Lions, Eagles and Raiders may present the strongest opportunities for immediate action.