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P.J. Williams 2015 NFL Draft scouting report

This cornerback from Florida State might have himself a big performance at this week's Combine. He already looks like a future starter.

Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports

All of Buffalo Rumblings' 2015 NFL Draft coverage can be found in our NFL Draft section. These scouting reports are part of our 2015 NFL Draft big board, which is also available under the "Library" header on our site's navigation bar.

PJ Williams

  • Position: Cornerback (CB)
  • Class: Junior
  • College: Florida State
  • Ht/Wt: 6'0", 195 pounds

Scouting Report

For my first report of a defensive back on Buffalo Rumblings, let's look at Florida State's P.J. Williams. Williams has good size for the position at 6'0" and 195 pounds, and great athleticism across the board. He has very fluid hips, allowing him to transition out of a backpedal quickly. Williams was used often as a blitzer, and he does a pretty good job at it, especially when he's coming from the slot. His tackling is pretty sound.

Williams attacks the football when he can find it, but is sometimes slow to locate. His press coverage needs some work; sometimes he uses the wrong hand to initiate, and he doesn't have a jarring punch. In man coverage, Williams too often allows his receiver to take an inside position, regardless of where the safety is playing. He has the athleticism to stick with his receiver well, for what it's worth. Williams has experience playing zone and handles it pretty well, driving and closing quickly on the receiver. He gets his hand on the football, but doesn't have the coordination to pull in the interception, with one interception to ten passes defended this season. I think his best fit would be in the slot, where his best abilities would be maximized: blitzing, man coverage across the middle, zone coverage, and tackling.

Grade

Williams looks like a potential above-average starting cornerback who could have a strong impact if used in the slot. If he plays a boundary cornerback role, he will need to improve his technique to hold up against savvier players, when his athleticism won't be enough to prevent a pass.