Joshua Williams 2022 NFL Draft Profile

Joshua Williams NFL Draft Profile

After spending the past four years at Fayetteville State University, cornerback Joshua Williams has declared for the 2022 NFL Draft. Williams is an interesting prospect, coming from a Division 2 school and has picked up considerable interest over the past few months. In 2021, Williams finished the season with 31 tackles, nine passes defended, and three interceptions in nine games.

If selected, Joshua Williams will be the first player from his school to hear his name called in the NFL Draft since 1976.

Strengths

Tall, long corner with physicality near the line of scrimmage;

Smooth hips allow hip to track receivers across the field;

Surprising agility for a player his size – can follow shorter routes;

Can time his high point to deflect away passes;

Played well at the Senior Bowl against top competition.

Weaknesses

Played weak competition at Fayetteville State – unclear how he’ll do against top professionals;

Pedestrian straight-line speed – won’t win too many footraces;

Could use some more muscle – bigger receivers could push him around;

Bites too hard on jukes;

Falls into blocks in run support.

NFL Comparison: Byron Maxwell

Projection: Rounds 3-4

Bottom Line on Joshua Williams

Joshua Williams has the potential to be one of the biggest steals in the NFL Draft. The 6′-3″ cornerback is one of the tallest in the class with some of the largest arms, and he knows how to use his physical gifts to jam receivers at the line and break up contested passes. Additionally, he moves well for a bigger player, blessed with smooth hips that allow him to follow shiftier receivers on the outside.

The biggest question with Williams is if he can do this against elite competition. Fayetteville State didn’t exactly face the best teams in the nation, so it’s unclear if Williams is actually as good as he looked, or if he’s just a product of weak competition. For what it’s worth, Williams reportedly had a good week of practice at the Senior Bowl, but that’s a very small sample.

Even if the worries about his level of competition are overblown, Williams still has a few flaws in his game. While he is bigger than just about every other cornerback, he can still get pushed around by larger wide receivers. Adding some muscle would go a long way in making him one of the best contested catch corners in the league. Additionally, he lacks the deep speed and acceleration to keep up with the NFL’s burners and will likely be a matchup-specific player.

Ultimately, Joshua Williams will probably start his career on the bench as a situational corner and special teams player. However, if he’s able to handle the massive leap in competition, then he could turn into a solid starter in a year or two.

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