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Mike Williams and Artavis Scott declare for NFL draft: Could they both be first-round picks?

By Brad Berreman

Nov 19, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) runs after a catch in the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Mike Williams (7) runs after a catch in the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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On the heels of a national title win, Clemson wide receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott are moving on to the next level.

Within 24 hours of the Clemson Tigers winning the national title on Monday night, quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Wayne Gallman declared for the 2017 NFL Draft. On Wednesday, as expected for the most part, wide receivers Mike Williams and Artavis Scott followed suit.

Of the two departing Clemson wide receivers, Williams is clearly the better NFL prospect. With prototypical size (6-foot-3, 225 pounds) and skills, and big production this past season (98 receptions for 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns), it’s no coincidence Williams is widely considered the top wide receiver in this year’s draft class and a potential top-10 overall pick.

Scott is not as physically imposing (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) as Williams, and at No. 14 in CBS Sports.com’s up-to-date wide receiver prospect rankings (a third or fourth-round pick by that site) he’s obviously not as highly touted. But Scott did have at least 76 receptions in all three of his seasons at Clemson, including a team-leading 93 catches (for 901 yards and six touchdowns) in 2015 when Williams missed most of the season with a neck injury. Scott also adds some value as a kick returner, with an average of 23.7 yards per kickoff return for his college career.

Next: NFL Draft 2017: Projecting the top 5 picks

The Chicago Bears (No. 3 overall) could consider taking Williams, but the Tennessee Titans (No. 5), New York Jets (No. 6), Carolina Panthers (No. 8), Cincinnati Bengals (No. 9) and Buffalo Bills (No. 10) could all take a long look at him in the first 10 picks. The Bills would be a particularly intriguing landing spot, since Williams could immediately form a formidable wide receiver duo, with fellow Clemson product Sammy Watkins, for whoever winds up playing quarterback next season.

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