I'm calling drafted. Hate to see him go, but I think he's been underrated. What do you think and it begins with a yes or no (he will or will not get drafted).
OK, those who do or don't think Williams can be drafted
- Thread starter froropmkr72
- Start date
I think drafted. His pass catching and running skills are draft worthy.
22 rbs were taken last year
27 rbs in 2017
21 in 2016
22 in 2015
So basically if he’s a top 20 back then he gets drafted.
I think probably his evaluation will put him in the top 15 when the organizations look at his tape and that would put him as a 5th to 6th round pick.
So that’s what I am guessing. A 5th to 6th round pick. He might (and I hope) he goes higher.
22 rbs were taken last year
27 rbs in 2017
21 in 2016
22 in 2015
So basically if he’s a top 20 back then he gets drafted.
I think probably his evaluation will put him in the top 15 when the organizations look at his tape and that would put him as a 5th to 6th round pick.
So that’s what I am guessing. A 5th to 6th round pick. He might (and I hope) he goes higher.
Way to early. Measurables are going to be huge for a guy like him. Where he tests is going to be determination between mid day 3 pick or UFA.
He’s got some good tape (Oregon run was tremendous), and he has the skills and versatility that’s valued at that position in the NFL. But RB is also the most talented position coming out of college every year.
He’s got some good tape (Oregon run was tremendous), and he has the skills and versatility that’s valued at that position in the NFL. But RB is also the most talented position coming out of college every year.
As I said in the other thread:
Williams college game/stats and play style is very Theo Riddick (Detroit Lions) NFL game/stats like. Riddick will be going on 7 years with the Lions now with his light to moderate workload of rushing and receiving. He was drafted late in the 6th round in 2013. If Williams can do the same, he will be set financially for a very long time.
He's been a great Coug, nothing but the best to him and his family.
The NFL values RB's that are multi-dimensional - rush, catch, and block. Williams is good at all three, and he has done plenty of each in the air raid over the last 3 years. I think he would make a fine #2 or #3 RB on an NFL team as a backup, or a situational back like Riddick. I don't see why he wouldn't get drafted, and the 6th round does sound about right.
Williams college game/stats and play style is very Theo Riddick (Detroit Lions) NFL game/stats like. Riddick will be going on 7 years with the Lions now with his light to moderate workload of rushing and receiving. He was drafted late in the 6th round in 2013. If Williams can do the same, he will be set financially for a very long time.
He's been a great Coug, nothing but the best to him and his family.
The NFL values RB's that are multi-dimensional - rush, catch, and block. Williams is good at all three, and he has done plenty of each in the air raid over the last 3 years. I think he would make a fine #2 or #3 RB on an NFL team as a backup, or a situational back like Riddick. I don't see why he wouldn't get drafted, and the 6th round does sound about right.
If he feels like next season will be similar in production and essentially the same as this year..... and if he is gonna be a late round guy anyways.... might as well go now.
That’s pretty much what he said here.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/jan/05/james-williams-leaves-washington-state-one-year-ea/
Of course, much will be made of his measurables at NFL tryouts. I'm guessing there are more than a few backs out there who run the 40 faster than Williams does, but he looks like a solid 4.5 guy. We know he can change direction (or at least nine duck defenders know this). And there's no denying he can catch and run, and there are more and more NFL offenses today that value this kind of back.
Beyond that, there's the impact his departure will have on WSU. As I posted in another thread, Jamir Thomas and Jouvensly Bazil likely will see the field this fall. Caleb Perry may amp up his development now there's a better opportunity to see the field. And perhaps the USC commit comes our way.
Yes Yaki. Very thin at RB. I know or have heard nothing about Perry. So our Senior RB will be a true Soph who split time. I was hoping Jamir would end up at LB, but now he and Bazil could see significant play at RB.
It's just the system.
Everything we do is shit on by NFL people- system QB, system OL, system wr, and I assume system rb.
I'd like to see his yards after contact numbers; I don't feel like they are great. He's good at getting guys to miss or outrunning them to the edge, which isn't nothing, but that yards after contact is a huge stat for someone who wants to get drafted as an every down back, which is what teams spend their draft picks on.
I see him getting several walk on invites. Either way, I think he makes a team.
I definitely think that was true in the past, but that perception is changing.
Mayfield, Mahommes are both guys that have had success in the NFL and come from an Air Raid tree.
Then you look at inside receivers like Wes Welker and Danny Amendola that had a lot of success and Cracraft made a roster and is starting to contribute to the Broncos.
With people talking about trying to get Lincoln Riley and Kingsbury to the NFL I think the NFL is becoming more and more “Air Raid” like.
When everyone ran pro style sets in the past Air Raid guys were seen as outlier system products, but as the NFL is changing they are now being seen as desired.
Give it 4-5 more seasons of evolution and you’ll see more and more and more people after Air Raid players and disciples.
The Air Raid as a whole is infectious when it enters levels of league play.
When Leach went to the Big XII at Oklahoma it quickly spread. Texas Tech ran it with Leach as HC, Baylor with Art Briles, Oklahoma State with Gundy, Houston with Briles/Holgerson/Sumlin , A&M with Sumlin, West Virginia with Holgerson.
It took over the league.
In the Pac 12 it started with Mike Stoops at Arizona, then us and Leach, then you saw Cal hire Sonny Dykes, now Arizona has sumlin, USC has hired Kingsburry.
I expect it to take over the Pac 12 in 6 years if things keep going this way.
That would be two power conference that the Air Raid has significantly influenced...
But you see it spreading to others too. Florida State hired Kendall Briles, you had Seth Litrell bring it to North Carolina with Fedora. You have Dino Barbers using it at Syracuse...
If Florida State has success with it then it will spread rapidly in the ACC.
In the SEC you saw it was run at A&M, Saban has brought concepts to Alabama with Tua, Mark Stoops has some concepts at Kentucky
So the NFL will be not be looking down at the Air Raid in the future. It is the future of the NFL and all the signs that transformation is underway are there.
Bingo. Even offenses that are more old school throw to the backs a ton. Zeke led the cowboys in receptions, and he’s a between the tackles back.
The league has made rule changes that favor passing offenses. You can’t breathe on the QB and you have to two hand touch a WR running a crossing route.
Guys like Williams are going to get way more of a look now than they did five years ago. The hardest thing to teach a back is blitz pickup and running routes/catching the ball out of the backfield. JW is better at this than 95% of the draft eligible backs.
The main argument for Williams jumping is the current, and perhaps brief, excitement surrounding the air raid thanks to Mahomes playing so well. Boobie can maybe benefit from that.
Wait till Jimmy Lake gets to the NFL. These Air Raid offenses are gonna crash...
All he’ll need is double the money of other NFL teams so he can buy double the talent...
