2019 NFL Draft: Is Greedy Williams the next great cornerback?
The 2019 NFL Draft features a number of promising defensive prospects. Could LSU Tigers star Greedy Williams be the league’s next great cornerback?
In a pass-heavy league, few positions have become quite as important as cornerback. Having a player who can consistently match up against the bevy of threats who can go off for 100-plus yards in any given week has become a genuine need.
While there are a number of coveted cornerback prospects early in the 2019 NFL Draft process, it’s LSU Tigers star Greedy Williams who could be the cream of the crop.
According to Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus, Williams produced a passer rating of 22.9 when he was targeted during the 2017 college football season. That was the second-lowest mark of any returning cornerback, as well as a clear sign of his dominance in coverage.
For those who need further confirmation, Williams made more plays on the ball than any other returning cornerback during the 2017 season.
Greedy Williams has really made a name for himself pic.twitter.com/QpmNdecm41
— PFF College (@PFF_College) June 17, 2018
In other words: Williams not only shut down the wide receivers he lined up against, but established himself early on as a playmaker.
Of those 15 plays on the ball, six became interceptions for the redshirt freshman phenom. That level of ball-hawking wizardry is exactly why scouts are developing the belief that he could develop into a player who warrants a top-10 draft pick.
That’s supported by the fact that Williams had more pass breakups and interceptions in red zone coverage than he allowed receptions.
LSU cornerback Greedy Williams had more interceptions than catches allowed in the red zone in 2017 pic.twitter.com/NGYKriTX8T
— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) June 14, 2018
If that statistic doesn’t completely blow you away, then I’m not sure what would do the job.
Clearly, Williams will have to follow up that tremendous display of brilliance in 2017 with another strong showing in 2018. If he succeeds in doing so, however, he would prove to the masses why he’s become the must-see cornerback in this class.
In the SEC, where NFL-caliber defensive prospects border on omnipresence, Williams being able to stand out would be of undeniable significance.
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It’s too early for accurate projections at this stage of the 2019 NFL Draft process, but Greedy Williams has positioned himself for a rise into the top 10.