Sporting News Pro Football War Room
Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room has hundreds of player evaluations in preparation for the 2010 NFL draft. Here is a capsule look at prospect Mike Williams:
Mike Williams has plenty of assets teams appreciate; his only lack is speed.
NFL position:
WR
Height: 6-2
Weight: 204
40 time: 4.55
Current projection: Second-round pick
Hands: Shows naturally soft hands to reach out and pluck the ball away from body. Gets head, shoulders and hands around quickly out of cuts. Shows no fear going up to catch high passes between defenders. Absorbs big hits and holds on to the ball. Bends knees well to catch low passes. Allows the ball to get into his body sometimes on easy catches; will fight the ball occasionally, leading to drops on what should be easy catches. Grade: 8.0
Patterns: Runs sharp and precise routes. Shows the agility to get in and out of cuts in a blink. Disguises routes well to prevent cornerbacks from reading him. Uses body and hands to separate from defenders. Finds open areas in zones. Will extend route when QB is flushed from pocket. Grade: 7.0
Run after catch: Is big and strong, and shows the balance, agility and competitiveness to gain yardage after contact. Turns downfield quickly after the catch. Absorbs hard hits and keeps on going, and will run through arm tackles. Does not lower shoulders to deliver a blow to would-be tacklers, though. Grade: 6.5
Release: Must improve in this area. Lacks explosiveness off the line; cannot separate from cornerbacks in press coverage. Is not nearly as good at fighting through jams as someone with his strength should be; cannot beat jams with quickness. Grade: 5.0
Blocking: Is competitive and aggressive, using size and strength to win battles. Will chase down defenders to keep long runs alive. Should become a dominant NFL blocker. Grade: 8.5
Bottom line: Williams is a big, physical receiver with surprising athleticism and excellent hands. He was suspended for the ’08 season but returned in ’09 and played at a high level. He has the receiving skills coaches covet in big receivers—winning jump-ball battles over cornerbacks and catching passes without hesitation in traffic. Williams’ lack of elite speed will cause him to slide on draft boards.
For more than 600 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated Mock Draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.
Sporting News Pro Football War Room
Sporting News’ Pro Football War Room has hundreds of player evaluations in preparation for the 2010 NFL draft. Here is a capsule look at prospect Mike Williams:
Mike Williams has plenty of assets teams appreciate; his only lack is speed.
NFL position:
WR
Height: 6-2
Weight: 204
40 time: 4.55
Current projection: Second-round pick
Hands: Shows naturally soft hands to reach out and pluck the ball away from body. Gets head, shoulders and hands around quickly out of cuts. Shows no fear going up to catch high passes between defenders. Absorbs big hits and holds on to the ball. Bends knees well to catch low passes. Allows the ball to get into his body sometimes on easy catches; will fight the ball occasionally, leading to drops on what should be easy catches. Grade: 8.0
Patterns: Runs sharp and precise routes. Shows the agility to get in and out of cuts in a blink. Disguises routes well to prevent cornerbacks from reading him. Uses body and hands to separate from defenders. Finds open areas in zones. Will extend route when QB is flushed from pocket. Grade: 7.0
Run after catch: Is big and strong, and shows the balance, agility and competitiveness to gain yardage after contact. Turns downfield quickly after the catch. Absorbs hard hits and keeps on going, and will run through arm tackles. Does not lower shoulders to deliver a blow to would-be tacklers, though. Grade: 6.5
Release: Must improve in this area. Lacks explosiveness off the line; cannot separate from cornerbacks in press coverage. Is not nearly as good at fighting through jams as someone with his strength should be; cannot beat jams with quickness. Grade: 5.0
Blocking: Is competitive and aggressive, using size and strength to win battles. Will chase down defenders to keep long runs alive. Should become a dominant NFL blocker. Grade: 8.5
Bottom line: Williams is a big, physical receiver with surprising athleticism and excellent hands. He was suspended for the ’08 season but returned in ’09 and played at a high level. He has the receiving skills coaches covet in big receivers—winning jump-ball battles over cornerbacks and catching passes without hesitation in traffic. Williams’ lack of elite speed will cause him to slide on draft boards.
For more than 600 player scouting reports from Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts — plus updated Mock Draft, Super 99 rankings and more — go to warroom.sportingnews.com.
