The New York Giants took a chance on Boston College running back Andre Williams in this past May’s NFL Draft, and it appears that they may have a project on their hands.
In a recent Q&A, Dan Graziano, who covers the Giants for ESPN, was asked about Williams and he explained that he’s of the impression that Williams still has a ways to go after what the team saw in offseason workouts.
"There’s a role there for rookie fourth-round running back Andre Williams if he can take it. The Giants love to have a big, power running back who can grind out yards up the middle. No matter who the offensive coordinator is, that’s going to be something Tom Coughlin wants. But they won’t force Williams into playing time if he doesn’t show he can handle some of the pass-protection responsibilities and maybe catch a ball or two. So while they like Williams and he was extremely productive in college last year, you shouldn’t assume he’s going to be a big factor in the run game right away. The Giants don’t like to rush rookies, and everything I heard about Williams in spring practices indicated he needed a lot more work."
Williams really burst onto the scene during his senior season last year by rushing for over 2,000 yards and becoming a Heisman finalist in the process. He also helped Boston College earn a bowl game berth just one season after they only won two games.
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Luckily for the Giants, they have a pretty good depth chart at running back with David Wilson, Peyton Hillis and Rashad Jennings, so there is a window for them to get Williams to where he needs to be.
It just can’t take too long.