It’s down to the wire for the Buffalo Bills, with the 2019 NFL Draft only a couple days away. As we approach the big night, we take a look at the background of former Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, one of the best prospects in the draft and a likely top-five pick.
One of the best players in the state of Alabama and a four-star recruit, Williams decided on Alabama after entertaining offers from Auburn and Ole Miss. Amazingly, he saw snaps in every game as a redshirt freshman for the Crimson Tide, totaling 20 tackles and finishing fourth on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss. Then, seeing starting snaps for the first time as a redshirt sophomore, Williams not only broke out, but busted down the door. Williams had 45 total tackles, led his team in tackles-for-loss with 19.5, and had seven sacks and a safety. With the massive success in 2018 came accolades. Williams was a unanimous first team All-American, a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award and was even discussed as a Heisman candidate.
More so than, say, Ed Oliver, there’s much more to Williams’s game than just pure athleticism. However, Williams has more than enough juice to compete with his draft colleagues. His 4.83 40-yard dash, along with his 1.67 10-yard split, was phenomenal for a prospect who’s more than 300 lbs. Unfortunately, Williams didn’t complete many of the other combine drills, but he also looked fantastic in some of the on-field drills. His combine performance put him on par with two former Carolina Panthers: Kawaan Short and current Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Star Lotulelei.
Quinnen Williams’s stock started strong and has remained so through the entire draft process. It was apparent following the 2018 season that if he were to declare he’d be a top-ten pick, and that is still the case. There are some rumblings that he could be pushed outside of the top five simply due to the needs of other teams, but it’ll be surprising to see him last past the sixth pick of the draft. Whichever team drafts him will be getting an elite starter.