Los Angeles Chargers select Mike Williams
With the seventh-overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected Mike Williams out of the University of Clemson.
If Williams doesn’t turn into a perennial 1,000-yard receiver, it would be a great disappointment. The former Clemson star was dominant during his college days, even with a broken neck in the opening game of the 2015 campaign. After the terrifying injury, Williams bounced back to record career highs with 98 receptions, 1,361 yards and 11 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, Williams is a big-bodied receiver who also has the speed to get deep. For comparison’s sake, think of a player like Amari Cooper, who has become a star for the Oakland Raiders. Cooper isn’t a true burner, but he runs excellent routes and gets himself open, creating separation down the field.
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 218
40-time: N/A
Bench: 15 reps
Vertical: 32.5”
Broad: 121”
3-cone: N/A
Williams might be the most polished receiver in the class. Corey Davis gives him a fight for that title, but Davis hasn’t gone up against the competition faced in the ACC. Additionally, John Ross of Washington has incredible speed (ran a record-setting 4.22 40-yard dash), but projects to be more of a Mike Wallace-type than anything else.
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Look for Williams to start immediately as a terrific compliment to the oft-injured Keenan Allen, getting a boatload of targets. Considering he’s the type of athlete who can turn a small gain into a large one, getting the ball to Williams a half dozen times per game is a must.