Williams looks to be a solid day three prospect in many NFL Draft analysts’ eyes
Continuing our series looking at different Michigan State Football alumni who are heading into this week’s NFL Draft we come to a man known for plugging up running lanes and making splash plays in the backfield: Raequan Williams
Williams’ stock has been steady as a day three selection, but has certainly flashed some upside potential at the college level.
The SpartansWire take:
Raequan Williams is a really good dude that Michigan State fans are rooting to see succeed. His leadership and character are outstanding by all accounts and that could help make the difference for him as a day three pick. Williams was a big reason why Michigan State fared so well in run defense during his time in the green and white. He moves well in the muck of interior line play and showed the ability to get himself in the backfield and make plays.
His combine wasn’t the best and there are concerns about his overall strength and athleticism. He seems like the type of guy that is going to do whatever he can to make his professional career work, so I would imagine he will take to professional coaching and strength training very well. That will be important for him if he wants to elevate to a consistent defensive line rotation player at the next level.
What analysts are saying:
DraftWire has Williams ranked 171st overall, which puts him in the early fifth round.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. told local media that he thought Williams had the potential to be a good day three (rounds 4-7) pick.
Williams received a 5.86 grade from Scouts Inc. which qualifies as a backup/special teams player. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said of Williams:
“Grade will likely be tied to specific positional fit for each organization. Williams is long-legged and plays with below-average bend and twitch. He struggles to hold the point versus angle blocks but shows an ability to get skinny and disrupt in the backfield. He’s not as long as he looks but has versatility to play in odd or even fronts at a variety of spots. His bull rush generates pocket push and might translate, but he needs to keep adding strength and counters to diversify his rush plan. He’s a backup-caliber interior defender worthy of a Day 3 selection.”
Height: 6-4
Weight: 308
Arms: 33 3/8″
Hands: 9 3/8″
40-yard dash: 5.04 seconds
Bench press: 17 reps
Vertical jump: 25.5 inches
Broad jump: 101.0 inches
3-Cone drill: 7.72 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.78 seconds
College Stats:
49 games, 157 tackles, 29 TFLs, 11.5 sacks, 8 passes defended, 3 forced fumbles
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