By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Ohio State has been loaded at the wide receiver position for year, and the presence of Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson relegated Jameson Williams to being a backup. Williams flashed deep speed for the Buckeyes in 2019 (6-112-1) and 2020 (9-154-2), but he decided to transfer out for 2021 as Olave and Wilson were manning the starting spots.
Williams quickly became an electric playmaker for the Crimson Tide. He was in dominant form to close out the 2021 season, including lighting up Georgia in the SEC Championship (7-184-2), Arkansas (8-190-3), LSU (10-160-1) and Texas A&M (10-146-2). Williams also was a phenomenal gunner on punt coverage. Unfortunately Williams tore an ACL in the National Championship game. On the year, Williams averaged 19.9 yards per catch for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns on 79 catches.
There is a lot to like about Williams for the NFL. He is extremely fast, helping him create separation from defensive backs over the top and stretch the field vertically. Williams is a home run hitter who has a second gear to run by defenders and get open deep down the field. Off the snap, Williams is seriously explosive and blows through the defense. While Williams is extremely fast, he has quality height and length that should still him more effective as a downfield receiver in the NFL.
Scouts say that Williams is more linear, like former Alabama receiver Henry Ruggs. They don’t see the lateral quickness and agility of Jaylen Waddle. They do not anticipate Williams offering as much as an underneath receiver and in the quick passing game. They views Williams as a shot guy to attack defenses vertically.
Williams could fit best in the NFL as a No. 2 receiver to stretch the field vertically and produce some big plays deep down the field while defenses are focused on stopping a true No. 1 wideout. Some NFL team sources believe Williams will be more of a 60 catches-per-season guy rather than a 90-100-catches high-volume receiver.
Immediately in his NFL career, Williams could be a dangerous home run hitter who produces a lot of points deep down the field. Despite his torn ACL, NFL team sources still feel Williams could still go in the back half of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft and won’t get out of the second round.
Player Comparison: Will Fuller/Hollywood Brown/Henry Ruggs. NFL team sources compared Williams to Fuller, Brown and Ruggs. Here is what one director of player personnel said about Williams, “He’s more like Henry Ruggs than Jaylen Waddle. Williams is more linear than Waddle. He is more similar to Will Fuller, but not as good of a route runner as Fuller. Williams has serious speed, like Ruggs, but Williams has more feel and football sense than Ruggs. Jameson could be a longer Hollywood Brown.”
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