Overview
Position: Wide Reciever
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 211 lbs
School: Auburn University
Pro Day Performance Data
40-yard dash: 4.50
Vertical jump: 37’0”
Broad jump: 124”
225 Lb. Bench Reps: N/A
Seth Williams 2021 NFL Draft Profile
After three-seasons at Auburn, junior wide receiver Seth Williams is among a deep class of wide receiving talent. A four-star recruit and the 35th-ranked receiver in his class, Williams had a strong career at Auburn. Interestingly, he snubbed his hometown Alabama Crimson Tide for a chance to play ball at the rival university. Over three seasons, Williams amassed 2,124 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Tigers. He did play alongside a pretty strong crop of receiving talent. Anthony Schwartz is another quality receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft class. Eli Stove provided Auburn with another strong target for deep balls. Out of the core, however, the size and hands of Williams shine brightest. He has the ability to absolutely crush smaller corners and impresses with this elevation.
There are reasonable concerns about the ability of Williams to reach a high ceiling. At times, his motor appears questionable and his speed can certainly underwhelm. At Auburn, he wasn’t a particularly engaged member of the running game, though he flashes in some spots. However, he shines on 50-50 balls, where he’s happy to compete and win in the air.
With that said, he struggled to win those match-ups against the nation’s better corners this season. Tyson Campbell of Georgia and Jaycee Horn of South Carolina both got the better of Williams in 2020. This could be an issue that causes Seth Williams to slide on the boards of some teams. In fact, he only scored one touchdown in eight career games LSU, Alabama, and Georgia. While those defenses give a lot of offenses issues, star players find a way to beat tough fronts. Further, his 69.6 receiving grade in 2020 from Pro Football Focus isn’t that impressive and ranked third on his own team.
However, there’s certainly reason to wonder if he would’ve been stronger with better quarterback play from Bo Nix. Williams and Nix each had their best seasons in 2019, but the play from Nix was rough during the 2020 campaign. While Williams deserves some of the blame for effort, the ball-placement from Nix tended to be suspect this season. Certainly, Nix put Williams in some bad spots, but the receiver wasn’t without blame. With more competition from play-to-play, he could’ve put his quarterback in some better spots.
Strengths
- Great hands allow him to beat defensive backs in the air on jump balls
- Big catch radius to haul in passes in tough spots, which prevent interceptions
- Physical runner that seems to embrace running after the catch
- Plays big and creates coverage miss-matches for both safeties and corners
- Downfield speed impresses, hard to stop once he gets going
- With focus, could be a very useful asset in the outside run blocking game
Weaknesses
- Will need to get more consistent in one-on-one battles at the professional level
- Doesn’t possess elite speed off the snap
- Needs to become more competitive to earn time on the field
- On-and-off desire to block in the run game
- Struggles to create separation despite ability to chase deep balls
NFL Comparison: Auden Tate
Teams With Need at Position: Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens
Projection: Mid-Fourth Round
Bottom Line on Seth Williams
Amongst a deep crop of pass-catchers, Williams may fall farther than he would in other classes. However, his ability to win jump balls will be appealing to teams looking to add red-zone weapons. Williams doesn’t possess the qualities of a top-two receiver but has the potential to be a really nice third-or-fourth option. Wherever he goes, Williams will be at his best if paired with a higher quality quarterback. To be at his best, he’ll need a passer with a knack for excellent ball placement.
Along the way, it will be important for Williams to get more competitive from play-to-play. He flashes in that area with his run-after-the-catch skill but lacks as a blocker and in off-schedule plays. Regardless, teams will be excited by the length and physicality that jumps off the tape. Seth Williams has the potential to make a team very happy along the way. He will need some time to develop and shouldn’t be expected to pop in his rookie year.
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