Connor Williams - Texas

Position: OT

Height: 6’5”

Weight: 320 lbs

Year: Junior

Hometown: Coppell, Texas

Experience: 3-Year Starter

Measurables:

40yd dash: 5.05s

Broad jump: 112 in.

Vertical: 34 in.

3-cone: 7.83s

20yd. Shuttle: 4.63s

Bench Press: 26 reps

Career Notes:

A standout on offense and defense in high school, Williams continued his dominant reign as soon as he arrived to Austin. As a true freshman, he settled in on the offensive side of the ball, starting at left tackle through all twelve games of the 2015 season. His performance caught the eye of national media, who by consensus voted him a freshman All-America first-team player.

His sophomore season was a replication and, in many ways, an improvement on his freshman campaign. Williams started eleven of twelve games at left tackle, only missing a competition in the second week of the season versus UTEP. His performance landed him a spot on multiple first-team All-America lists.

His junior year started off as well as the previous two, but a knee injury against USC sidelined Williams for most of the season, returning in time for his final two games of the regular season. He knocked off rust against West Virginia and returned to form for his final game against Texas Tech. Guarding his draft stock, he declared for the draft after Thanksgiving and announced he would sit out Texas’s bowl game against Missouri.

Injury Report:

A gruesome pile-up against USC resulted in a torn meniscus as as well as a sprained MCL and PCL in his left knee in 2017. He underwent arthroscopic surgery and played the entirety of Texas’s final two games.

Career Stats: https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/connor-williams-2.html

Analysis:

Run Blocking 4.5/5.0: Williams’s size made him a load to get around for linemen and linebackers alike. As soon as his hands landed, defenders were often stuck where they stood. In 2016, Williams established the line of scrimmage and allowed minimal push, hardly ever allowing penetration. In 2017, Williams took a step forward and began re-establishing the line of scrimmage in the run, knocking defenders off their position. He might not get pegged as a “mauler” since he has so much to offer in the pass, but don’t get it twisted. He handled everybody who lined up across from him. Texas used his athleticism well on designed double teams which allowed him to seal a lineman off and move to the second level quickly, at which point he neutralized linebackers with little issue. The biggest concern in his ability as a run blocker was pulling inside. His first pulling step wasn’t the quickest and left room for defenders to lean a shoulder into his chest and disrupt runs. Often his size and strength compensated for that concern, but against NFL defenders power might not be enough on bootlegs and sweeps.

Pass Protection 4.0/5.0: The paws that neutralized run defenders had a similar effect on pass rushers. Williams set up consistently well and patiently waited for defenders to arrive. He was a trustworthy blocker when asked to block rushers on an island. Despite his height, his arms aren’t exceptionally long. Even still, his patience and hand placement allowed him to contain even the lengthiest pass rushers. In the screen pass game, he released into the open field quickly and created lanes for ballcarriers. He was occasionally over-aggressive and would bend at the hips, allowing longer defenders to take advantage of their length and pull him out of the way. It happened once or twice a game, whether he was playing Notre Dame or Iowa State.

Agility 3.0/5.0: When pulling on run or pass plays, Williams’s change of direction was serviceable but it never won him leverage. He relied on positioning, power, and flexible hips to win in the run and the pass. His decisiveness in blocking at the second level may give the illusion that he is faster than he actually is, which is not so much a knock on his quickness as it is a credit to his ability to process and react on run plays.

Summary: Williams was one of the most consistent linemen in 2015 and 2016 and in spite missing two months of play, he looked to be the same guy in his final game of 2017. He provided security in the pass and rushing lanes in the run. While length and quickness are concerns, they become nit-picky critiques for a guy whose film was consistently dominant. He overwhelmingly dominated defenders more than they got the better of him. He is already an NFL-caliber starting left tackle for a few teams and a starting right tackle for a few more. The only concern becomes his knee, which will decide whether he goes on Day 1 or Day 2.

Overall Grade 3.83/5.0

If drafted by the Packers:

At 20 years old, Williams is the only lineman with such a unique combination of youth, experience, and success in this draft. However, fragile knees scare GMs and Myles Jack serves as a reminder that even a projected top-5 talent can fall as far as second round because of health concerns. So there is reason to believe that Williams can fall to Green Bay. With Bryan Bulaga consistently hurt, the Packers could address his replacement in the second round. Seeing as the backup tackle spot keeps bouncing between Justin McCray and Jason Spriggs, it would be nice to have security if the Packers are going to protect Rodgers from re-injuring his collarbone. While there are certainly more pressing needs at receiver, tight end, inside, and outside linebacker, it’s possible that the best players at all those spots will already be taken leaving Williams in a best-player-available scenario for Green Bay on Day 2.

Video:

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