Why Jamaal Williams to the Oakland Raiders Makes Sense
As we get closer to the NFL Draft, and free agency rumors increase, there are still many questions that have not been answered, and players that have not been looked at deeply enough. One player with a lot of question marks is running back, Jamaal Williams. Though injuries and personal issues have stalled his production in the past, Williams has proven himself enough to get an NFL Combine invite. The question now becomes: who will draft him and why should they?
Physical Attributes
At 6’1, 211, Jamaal Williams is very fast and quick for his size. Scouts have acknowledged his very muscular and cut build. At the NFL Combine, Williams ran a 4.59 forty and had a 30 inch vertical. As a big back, Jamaal was very reliable on third downs in 2016 for BYU, averaging 9.4 yards per carry.
Running Ability
In his 42 game career with Brigham Young University, Jamaal Williams earned 3,901 rushing yards and 35 rushing touchdowns. In his string finish as a senior in 2016, Williams averaged 5.9 yards per carry with 12 touchdowns. Williams put up these great numbers in 2016 despite a struggling O-Line and a constant quarterback controversy. One can only imagine the success he could have behind a Raiders O-Line as a supplement to Derek Carr.
Bounce Back
While Jamaal Williams has been a successful football player for BYU, he has had to endure his own set of struggles that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. In 2014, Williams suffered a season ending knee injury against Middle Tennessee State. And while fans expected a great comeback in 2015, Williams withdrew from school and red shirted. This was most likely due to brushes with BYU’s strict Honor Code and team rules. Fortunately, Williams was able to make a spectacular comeback in 2016 and prove to scouts and coaches that he is NFL material.
A Future Raider?
Jamaal Williams provides NFL teams with the ability to be a strong third-down running back. Although the Raiders are in free-agency talks with many different running backs, Jamaal Williams is still a very real possibility. If the Raiders do not re-sign Latavius Murray, Williams could become Oakland’s big back as they plan for a 2017 playoff run.
