2025 NFL Scouting Report: Tyleik Williams

Prospect Summary:

While other Buckeye defensive linemen have received more media attention, Williams has been one of their best defenders at the point of attack over the past three years. Williams flashed interior rush ability in 2021 when he put up five sacks and 16 tackles. In 2022, he had one sack with 21 tackles as a rotational player. In 2023, he played solid football while recording 54 tackles, three sacks and five passes defended. Williams had a number of impressive plays against Notre Dame, getting the better of left tackle Joe Alt. Williams could have been a day-two pick, but he returned to Ohio State for his senior season. In 2024, Williams had 46 tackles with 2.5 sacks in helping the Buckeyes to win a National Championship.

As a pass rusher, Williams has a nice skill set to attack offensive linemen. He has a strong build with active hands and the power to shed blocks at the point of attack. Williams has power in his bull rush to knock blockers back and can get penetration into the pocket. To go along with power, Williams has a burst to close and impressive speed for a big interior lineman. He shows some variety in pass-rushing moves with rip, swim, and chop moves. Williams has the upside and the ability to be a quality interior pass rusher in the NFL.

In the ground game, Williams is strong and stout at the point of attack. He holds his gap well with the power in his base to stonewall downhill runs coming straight at him. Williams is also disruptive to blowing runs up in the backfield by getting penetration through his strength or using his quickness to fire his gap and get into the backfield. Williams gets in trouble when he plays too high, so maintaining his pad level and leverage will be important for holding his ground against NFL offensive linemen.

Williams got too heavy for the 2024 season, which hurt his production. He will have to improve his conditioning and body weight disruption for the NFL. Multiple team sources say they think that Williams will do that because he acknowledges the issue and is working to fix it. Williams is said to be a great kid with excellent character. In the 2025 NFL Draft, Williams could be an excellent value pick on the second day of the draft.