New Era Scouting

Dan Williams – Tennessee

Scout: David Syvertsen

Height/Weight: 6’3/327

Pro Potential: Jason Ferguson – Miami Dolphins

Position Traits

Pass Rush/Closing Ability/Moves and Counter Moves: Totaled just 6.5 sacks over his four year career, not much of a finisher in the pocket. However he is very disruptive on deep dropbacks, hard guy to keep at bay. Closes in on the ball carrier very well, moves well in space. Uses his hands well to get off blocks, limited repertoire of moves.

Pursuit/Lateral Movement/Agility: Perhaps the most surprising part of his game. Chases well sideline to sideline, makes a lot of tackles outside the box. Does not adjust well to the late cut block, can get heavy feet in the trenches.

Quickness/Explosion: The hustle off the snap is not always there, seems to tire easily. Can get in to the blocker’s face right away with his anticipation. Not necessarily quick in to the backfield but he has the powerful explosion that will show up on occasion.

Run Defend/Recognition: Constantly double teamed but still makes an impact on tackles. Gets in on a lot of hits. Covers a lot of ground from his nose tackle spot and gets moving in the right direction off the bat. Reads blocks and gets himself in position to make the tackle or alter the running lane.

Size/Length/Hand Size: Has the ideal lower half for a defensive tackle. Huge rear with thick legs gives him the power to hold ground against double teams and get a push against a single blocker. Carries his 320+ pounds comfortably. Has longer arms than a normal 6’3 player has and he knows how to use them to keep blockers at bay.

Strength/Ability to Shed Blocks: Can bench press almost 500 pounds, a very stout defender. Seems to be on another level strength wise from head to toe than his opponents. Difficult to keep blocked for long because of his active hands and sheer power. Looked like a man among boys on some weeks.

Tackling: Improved in this area since his earlier years. Had over sixty tackles from the nose tackle position, an impressive number. Does get juked in space because his feet get heavy in pursuit. When in position, he completely swallows the ball carrier with his arms and does not let them escape. Strong tackler.

Technique/Hand Use/Leverage: Plays low from his rear on up, hands are constantly attacking the blocker’s numbers. Strong hands prevent him from getting locked on to. Overall technique is picture perfect when he is not fatigued. Cuts corners and loses out on the leverage battle when he is on the field for more than six straight plays.

Versatility: Can play in any scheme on the inside. Has the girth and strength to be double teamed inside as a 3-4 nose tackle, but can also shoot the A gaps in the 4-3. His versatility will boost his grade as any team looking for interior defensive line help will have him high on their board.

Final Word: Williams has arguably given a bigger boost to his stock than any senior in the country this season. In a strong class of defensive tackles, Williams could break his way in to the first round because of his NFL-ready ability to stuff the run. The impact that Terrance Knighton has had on the Jaguars defensive line will only help Williams here. While his motor can be questioned, it is obvious he has put in a lot of time to molding his body in to ideal shape for a run stuffer. If he can be put in to a healthy rotation up front, his impact will be felt early and often.

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