Measurables
UNIVERSITY- Alabama AGE- 21 CLASS- JR
HEIGHT- 6’2” WEIGHT- 189 ARM LENGTH-
40 Time- 3 CONE- VERTICAL- BROAD JUMP- BENCH PRESS-
Overview
Jameson Williams grew up in St. Louis, Missouri where he would eventually play his high school ball for Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. He was considered a 4 star recruit in his senior class of 2018 for his abilities as WR and a returner. Williams was also an absolute track star as he won back to back state titles in the 300-meter hurdles and set the state record(Zeke Elliot owned the record previously). Williams started his collegiate career at Ohio State but was overshadowed by the volume of talent around him in the WR depth-chart. In 2 seasons (2019/2020) Jameson Williams played in 22 games, starting in 6 of those games as a WR and a special-teams player. In his Ohio State career he totaled 266 yards, 3 TDs on 15 receptions(17.7 ypc). After his 2020 season in efforts to gain a prominent role Williams transferred to Alabama where he would become a day 1 starter. In 2021 he started in all 15 games in the high-powered Alabama pass offense that ended in a national championship game loss to Georgia. Williams finished with an astounding 1572 yards, 15 TDs(4 were over 70 yards, 11 were over 30 yards) on 79 receptions(19.9 ypc). As a special-teamer he tallied 4 tackles and returned 10 kicks for 352 yards and 2 TDs. He earned First-team All-American honors by most publications, First-team All-SEC honors as WR, Second-team All-SEC as a returner and earned SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year for his efforts as both a WR and a special-teamer. Jameson tore his ACL in the national title game vs Georgia on January 10th and won’t be able to compete in the scouting combine, his pro-day and will potentially miss the majority of the preseason activities.
Strengths
Speed is the defining trait for Jameson Williams but he is a much more polished WR than your average burner. At 6’2”, Williams gives you adequate size for a receiver and his catch radius isn’t limited. Where Williams speed really shines is down the field where he’s able to separate from DBs in the open field. His long speed is terrific, you simply just aren’t catching him from behind, he has “see ya later” speed. As a route runner he was used very well at Alabama, they did a good job of scheming up routes to get him open. You have to account for Williams speed and play off of him a bit. This allows Jameson to get easy receptions underneath. You see explosion at the top of Williams routes to gain separation in the short to intermediate areas of the field. He can work every area of the field from a 94 yard TD, to a goal-line back-shoulder play, to a quick hitch to move the chains. His separation down the field usually comes in the way of deep crossing routes where you just can’t keep up with him, he will beat you in man coverage. If your deep safety is lacking he will be on top of him with no time to recover. What’s really impressive is Williams hesitation moves and his ability to change tempos in his routes to gain separation. He has absolutely top tier elite stop and go acceleration ability and he can change directions at top speed where others may have some hitch. What separates Williams from your average burner though is his ability to work the open pockets of a zone underneath to intermediate as well as his toughness in all aspects of the game. Williams does a very nice job of sitting down on his routes and working back to the ball to give his QB a clean throwing window. He is a crafty WR with his explosiveness, he is able to explode at the perfect time in his routes to where the CB almost has no chance to respond quick enough. This lends himself to fitting in extremely well to a timing and rhythm based offense. I have no reason to believe Jameson has anything less than fantastic hands. He catches nearly every ball thrown his way, he’s a natural hands catcher. He shows the ability to quickly contort himself and make unorthodox catches away from his body. He shows the ability to drag his feet on sideline catches. He is a top tier tracker of deep balls and he can catch them into his body or with his hands overhead. He was used on endarounds and quick bubble screens with success. His best trait after the catch aside from his speed is his fantastic vision and patience with the ball in his hands. He is also surprisingly tough to tackle physically, he can run through weak arm tackles. He also has proved to be a fantastic special-teams player in both the kick return game but also as a gunner on the punt team. He actually got ejected for targeting in the Auburn game for a physical hit that he laid as a gunner. He can play both on the perimeter or inside in the current NFL but I believe his biggest advantage would be in the slot.
Weaknesses/Room for Improvement
The biggest question for Jameson Williams is an obvious one, how is the health of his knee? ACL tears aren’t nearly as severe as they once were but it certainly is still something to concern yourself with when taking him early. Can he reinjure his knee? When will he be ready to play again? He will likely miss all of the training camp and preseason period of his rookie season and he could potentially miss some games to start the year. As far as his talent, he shows an ability to separate in most of his routes but Williams could certainly benefit from improved short-area footwork. This will help to broaden his route tree and also improve his ability after the catch. Williams’ release off the line isn’t spectacular, he can be pushed around a little bit if you’re able to get your hands on him, particularly when he’s lined up outside. Again, improved footwork would help this aspect tremendously but also a lack of strength hurts him here. For someone with his speed, I didn’t feel like he was particularly explosive off the ball like you would assume/expect. He isn’t blowing by many DBs with a straight go-route. I don’t question Williams ability to catch the ball but he had a couple of concentration drops in the games I watched. His catch radius is pretty good for a player of his play style but he won’t have any spectacular gumby type catches often if at all. His blocking was below average in every game I saw, which is surprising considering how effective he is on special teams. He just didn’t seem too interested as a blocker on offense. You just hope health isn’t a story-line in his career, he’s a damn good player. If he never figures it out as a complete WR, I feel confident he will at the very least be a great special-teamer and a vertical threat on offense.
Scheme Fit
Z-Y combination WR in a vertical attacking offense.
Round Grade
1st Round