Name: Leonard Williams
College: USC
Class: Junior
Position: DL
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 300
Background/Character | Leadership: 9 | Experience: 9 | Off-the-Field: 9 |
| Mental Capacity: 9 | Mental Toughness: 9 | Durability: 8 |
Williams is one of the few in college football to earn a captain status as a junior. He has demonstrated the ability to play through injuries, even ones that nag for weeks. His ability to stay healthy is a concern, but he is tough and willing to sacrifice for the team. Williams should be considered a very good leader, and his 3 years of experience is a solid plus.
Final Grade: 8.83
Athleticism | Balance: 10 | C.O.D: 9 | Explosiveness: 9 |
| Flexibility: 10 | Coordination: 10 | Body Type: 9 |
Considering his height and weight, Williams is a rare and elite athlete. He’s got tremendous quickness in small spaces and is able to change direction with ease. Williams withstands contact impressively, which speaks to his balance and coordination. His length and power is top notch.
Final Grade: 9.5
Overall | Football IQ: 9 | Tackling: 9 | Motor: 9 |
| Aggressiveness: 10 | Vision: 10 | Stamina: 8 |
Williams is a very smart player, consistently showing high awareness and ability to read plays. Shows no issue with playing in space, which can be an issue for aggressive players. His injury history and penchant for suffering minor injuries could reduce his snaps. His motor revs high for most of the game, and playing less snaps in the NFL should only help.
Final Grade: 9.16
Run Defense | Range: 9 | Pursuit: 10 | Positioning: 10 |
| Read/React: 10 | Block Shedding: 10 | Hole Clogging: 9 |
Williams is a terrific run blocker because of his ability to read and play the ball. He doesn’t just flow where the lineman directs him, instead staying far away enough to disengage and attack the ball carrier. He is excellent at shedding blocks at getting upfield. Whether over the guard or at the C gap, Williams is a threat to stuff a run strong or weak side.
Final Grade:
Pass Defense | Initial Quicks: 9 | Rip/Swim Rush: 10 | Bull Rush: 10 |
| Counter Rush: 9 | Edge Quickness: 9 | Vs. Doubles: 10 |
To pair with his run defense, Williams is a solid pass rusher. He lines up too far away from the line of scrimmage, but that could be what he was coached to do. He doesn't have excellent burst off the line. When he gets to the line at the point of contact, he shines. His hands are powerful but lightning quick. Williams can easily win on stunts or straight on with a rip, swim or bull rush.
Final Grade: 9.5
| Player Comparison: | Richard Seymour |
| Projected Draft Position: | 1st Round |
| Best Scheme Fit: | 3-4 DE, 4-3 DT |
| Injury History: | Shoulder & ankle injury in 2013 |
| Career Accolades: | 2013 & 2014 All American |
| Career Stats: | 217 tackles, 19.5 sacks |
Final Analysis
Leonard Williams is one of the most impressive athletes in recent years of evaluating draft prospects, pairing great short movement quickness and strength. He was an impact player at USC since his first day on campus, and figures to be an instant hit in the NFL as well.
His mental processing and awareness is truly elite. It’s hard to find a prospect with all of the tools that Williams has and the natural instincts to sniff out run plays with the efficiency that Williams does. There is concern that without great burst off the snap that he could end up being just a high-quality run stuffer and occasional pass disruptor, but his ability to win when in a phone booth is highly impressive and advanced, even for NFL players. His hands are excellent and should help overcome the lack of bend and elite quickness.
Williams should be considered one of the elite prospects of the draft class, and figures to be taken in the top 5.
Final Grade: 9.60 - Top 5 value