Connor Williams is yet another one of those top talents that came into his final season in college with plenty of hype and then saw things take a weird turn. He started the season making some uncharacteristic penalties and then ultimately a knee injury sidelined him for most of the season.
To his credit, Williams made it back on the field and showed leadership by example by making sure to get back out there for his team. Those traits alone are enough to impress teams because of his work ethic.
If he plays like the 2016 Williams, teams are going to be getting quite the tackle. It could be as simple as chalking this past year up as an outlier. He’s got great size for a tackle, albeit with shorter arms and has the strength to not get overpowered.
He probably won’t be the first offensive tackle off the board, but he could provide great value for a team looking for an offensive tackle near the end of the first round. He put up 26 reps on the bench press at the combine and had himself a solid weekend.
By the nature of the position he plays, he should find himself in the first round. Teams are looking to protect their quarterbacks and offensive line play is something that many teams need to improve.