2016 NFL Draft: early look at Auburn’s D’haquille Williams

Auburn’s D’haquille Williams, aka Duke, is a long and explosive wide receiver prospect who has a chance to make a big splash in the NFL. He’s coming off a productive year at Auburn where he saw limited targets. The departure of Sammie Coates and another year of development is the perfect receipt for a breakout season.

Williams’ length and long arms are his best attribute at this point. He’s able to attack the football at its highest point and make catches in traffic. Williams features strong hands that allow him to pluck the ball away from his frame.

The clip below shows Williams leaping to make a fantastic catch:

Williams has deceptive speed thanks to his long legs and strides. He’s able to eat up a lot of ground in a hurry because of that quick-twitch ability. His explosiveness makes him a big-play threat able to take the top off a defense.

At this point in his development, Williams is very raw as a route-runner an area where he’s unlikely to see major improvement while at Auburn. The Tigers operate a run-heavy offensive attack that asks the receivers to run a simple route tree.

Auburn’s offense also limits the amount of targets and pass-catching opportunities for Williams. This is likely reason he allows some passes to get into his body. Williams shows strong hands but needs to be more consistent plucking the ball away from his frame.

It’s important to note that he’s not afraid to work over the middle of the field. He has a knack for finding the open spot in the defense when asked to run a post or dig route.

This is a top-end talent with a chance to come off the board early in the 2016 NFL Draft. Improving his overall consistency and showing some improved route running will be the key to his final draft position.

Current Draft Position: Top-10