NFL Draft 2019: Is LSU’s Greedy Williams worth a top-5 pick?

The top of the 2019 NFL Draft is stacked with elite defensive talent. Should LSU football’s Greedy Williams be considered among them?

The LSU Tigers have earned the nickname “DBU” for their ability to produce NFL-caliber defensive backs. The moniker will continue holding weight through the 2019 NFL Draft with Andraez “Greedy” Williams representing the Tigers.

Prior to the 2018 season, Williams was heralded by many as a consensus top-10 pick. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller mocked him to the Oakland Raiders at No. 7, a pick that originally belonged to the Chicago Bears.

But a lot has changed since then. The Bears’ pick ended up being No. 24 overall after their playoff run. The Raiders finished 4-12 and don’t seem to be set at any position. And Williams played an entire college football season.

He couldn’t duplicate his statistical production from his redshirt freshman campaign, only securing two interceptions this past season. But quarterbacks thought twice before throwing his direction after he led the SEC in interceptions in 2017. This earned him First Team All-America honors from Walter Camp, Football Writers, and AFCA, and Second Team honors from the AP and Sporting News.

Does Williams have the traits to succeed at the next level? Or was he getting praise simply because of the name on the front of his jersey, rather than the one on the back?

Strengths

While some defensive backs struggle to match up with the height of NFL wide receivers, that won’t be an issue for the 6-foot-2 LSU-product. At the NFL Combine, Williams posted the seventh-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.37 seconds), too. This combination of size and speed is rare on the defensive side of the ball, making Williams one of the best secondary prospects in recent memory.

It’s unfair to compare Williams to one of the best corners in the NFL, even if he is a former LSU Tiger. But if Williams continues to develop, his career trajectory could rival Arizona’s Patrick Peterson. Their numbers upon entering the combine are eerily similar.

As you can see, both Peterson and Williams have great speed and length. This length provides them the opportunity to jam or slow receivers at the line of scrimmage, disrupting timing routes and making things difficult for quarterbacks. Williams also uses his length when beat, swatting away at passes most defenders can’t reach.

Weaknesses

Williams has all the traits to be a great coverage defensive back in the NFL – size, speed, the ability to track the football- but if he’s to become one of the best in the game overall, he’ll need to work on his run support.

Sticking with the Peterson comparison, Williams’ combine weight was 34 pounds lighter than Peterson at the 2011 event. And while Peterson doesn’t play at that weight now (he’s lighter), Williams still needs to tack on more muscle. He matches up well against bigger receivers in coverage, but can often get swallowed up in the run game.

Tackling issues were covered up by a solid front-seven at LSU, but Williams projects to play outside corner at the next level, not in the slot. He’ll be on an island more at that outside position, but he’d have more tackle attempts if he played inside.

Draft Expectations

There appears to be a handful of franchise-changing talents in the 2019 NFL Draft. Where that talent ends up matters, of course, but Williams should be included among them wherever he lands.

However, players like Quinnen Williams and Nick Bosa are as close to can’t-miss prospects as possible. Couple that with the flavor of every draft season – teams needing and therefore falling in love with quarterbacks – and Greedy likely falls out of the Top 5. Whichever team is lucky enough to land him, though, will be set at the position for at least the next five years.

Projection: Early-middle first round (No. 8-15)