Overview
Position: Offensive tackle
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 301 pounds
School: Alabama Crimson Tide
Combine Performance Data
40-yard dash: 5.12 seconds
Bench press: 23 reps
Vertical jump: 28.0 inches
Broad jump: 8 feet, 4 inches
Three-cone drill: 8.01 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.79 seconds
Jonah Williams 2019 NFL Draft Profile
Jonah Williams is a perfect example of a high school prospect who lived up to the hype and then some. The Folsom, CA native was among the top recruits at any position in 2016. Rivals.com rated him the 24th-best player in the nation that year and the number two offensive tackle prospect. Despite the distance between his hometown and Tuscaloosa, he committed relatively early to Alabama. Williams was the second player to commit to Nick Saban as part of his consensus number one 2016 class.
Williams made an immediate impact, emerging as one of the top true freshmen in all of college football. That’s no easy feat at Alabama given how many talented upperclassmen exist on the roster. He earned Freshman All-American honors from USA Today and ESPN and also garnered a spot on the SEC’s All-Freshman team. Despite coming up short in the national title game, William’s run-blocking prowess helped the Crimson Tide rush for 221 yards.
After playing at right tackle as a freshman, Williams slid over to the left-hand side of the line during his next two seasons. Over the course of that time period, he cemented his status as an elite blindside protector. He helped the Tide win its fifth national title under Saban as a sophomore en route to first-team All-SEC honors. And even though they came up short against Clemson this past season, Williams further established himself as a highly coveted draft prospect. He finished the season as a unanimous first-team All-American and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, given to the SEC’s top offensive lineman. It’s no surprise then that Williams declared for the draft a year early.
Strengths
- about as technically gifted a lineman prospect as there is this year;
- sets the edge with plus initial quickness;
- effortless footwork on kick slides;
- stays square to defenders in pass protection extremely well;
- doesn’t panic but rather resets and recovers if defender gets initial advantage;
- excels at establishing the perimeter to create cutback lanes on run plays;
- capable second-level blocker;
- comfortable in both gap and zone blocking schemes;
- boasts experience at both tackle positions;
- started all 44 games during his three-year collegiate career.
Weaknesses
- not the most physically imposing presence;
- hand placement can get a bit wide at times;
- has a tendency to not finish and sustain blocks;
- can pick up his pad level at times and play too upright;
- needs to develop more of a nasty streak;
- some scouts could have concerns about his arm length.
NFL Comparison: Mitchell Schwartz
Teams With Need at Position: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projection: potential top 10 pick
Bottom Line
It’s the most important position on the offensive line and Williams excelled at it during his final two seasons in Tuscaloosa. His athleticism, footwork, and body control are extremely impressive and it’s why he’s on the radar of teams with a need at the position. The fact he became a plug and play starter right off the bat for college football’s top program over the past decade speaks to his drive and competitiveness.
Though his arm length might induce questions, there are plenty of lineman in this league making an impact despite below average arms. The comparison to Schwartz is due in large part because his arm length was in the 23rd percentile among prospects listed on MockDraftable.com. Overall, Williams checks almost all the boxes for teams in dire need of a franchise left tackle. For that reason, look for him to go early on day one of the draft.
