Kyren Williams NFL Draft Overview
Position: Running back
Height: 5-9
Weight: 194 lbs.
School: Notre Dame
Kyren Williams 2022 NFL Draft Profile
At first glance, many NFL scouts have defined Kyren Williams as an undersized running back who needs limited touches to be effective on the football field. But that is far from the truth because Williams has the potential to be an every down back in the league.
He rose to prominence after having an eye-opening high school senior season. Williams gained 2,769 total yards (2,035 rushing yards and 725 receiving yards) with 26 touchdowns at St. John Vianney High School in St. Louis. His outstanding play earned him Missouri Offensive Player of the Year honors. The three-star recruit received scholarship offers from multiple schools, but he chose to attend Notre Dame.
Williams made one of the biggest transformations among recent football recruits during his three seasons in South Bend. He came into the program as an undersized all-purpose player but left Notre Dame as a multi-facet offensive threat coming out of the backfield. At first, head coach Brian Kelley elected to redshirt him during his freshman season. Williams used the time to get himself into better shape. He added 15 pounds of upper-body strength to help absorb the hits received by oncoming defenders. However, Williams did not lose his quickness or ability to catch the football. Quickly, the Irish coaching staff realized that Williams was a viable receiving option coming out of the backfield.
In 2020, he introduced himself to the Notre Dame faithful by posting a highly productive season. Williams rushed for 1,125 yards and scored 13 rushing touchdowns. Plus, the youngster caught 35 passes for 313 receiving yards. The hard work earned him second-team All-ACC honors.
In his final season at Notre Dame, Williams gained 1,002 yards with 14 rushing touchdowns. He added 42 receptions for 359 yards. For his effort, Williams was named a Paul Hornung Award finalist.
Strengths
- Natural born leader
- Excels in short-yardage situations
- Great lateral quickness
- Good balance, tough to knock off his feet
- Elusive moves to avoid a straight-on hit
- Precision route runner
- Excellent vision downfield
Weaknesses
- Size is an issue
- Lacks breakaway speed
- Tends to lose acceleration off sharp cuts
- Needs to protect the football
- Indecisive on runs to the outside
- May need to add more strength
NFL Comparison: Dion Lewis
Teams With Need at Position: Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks and New York Jets
Projection: Late 4th or early 5th round
Bottom Line on Kyren Williams
Ideally, a prospective NFL team might look to draft Williams to team him with their lead back. He has the skill set to become the proto-typical number two back. Williams can effectively run the football, catch passes out of the backfield and a solid pass blocker in the pocket.
The offensive coaching staff will design a scheme that gives him a specific number of touches. The goal is to preserve the lead back’s body to endure a rigorous 17-game schedule. In short time, Williams will become a quarterback’s best friend as he is an underrated pass-blocker. He is quick to identify where the blitz is coming and tough enough to neutralize a defender at the line of scrimmage.
However, a team expecting a back with breakaway speed would have misrepresented Williams’ ability to run the football. He cannot unload a big touchdown run, but Williams can accelerate through the hole for a four-or-five-yard gain. Offensive coordinators love this type of production because it keeps the chains moving while controlling the game clock.
NFL fans are going to have a good time watching Williams establish himself as one of the premier talents in this year’s draft class.
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