2013 Atlanta Falcons Potential Draft Pick Profile: DT Nick Williams
April 18, 2013
Nick Williams is a dark horse for a mid-round selection for the Atlanta Falcons. He fits into the kind of player they have picked in the third round the past four seasons. According to College2Pro.com, Williams interviewed with the Falcons at the Texas vs. the Nation game:
New York Jets, Atlanta Falcons, St.Louis Ram find out who else with Samford DE Nick Williams @90nick_51 @seniorbowl college2pro.com/showPlayer.php…
— College2Pro.com (@BoMarchionte) November 27, 2012
Follow along as we discover how Williams would fit into the Falcons plans:
Nick Williams
Defensive Tackle
Samford University
Combine Measurements
Height: 6'4-1/2" Weight: 309 pounds
Arm Length: 34-1/8" Hand Measurement: 10-1/4"
40 yard dash: 4.84 sec. 10 yard split: 1.70 sec.
20 yard shuttle: 4.65 sec. 3-cone Drill: 7.55 sec. Bench Reps: 28 reps
Vertical Jump: 33.0" Broad Jump: 9'3"
Stats
2012: 11 Games Played, 31 Tackles, 8.0 Tackles for Loss, 6.0 Sacks, 4 QB Hurries, 3 Pass Deflections, 1 Blocked Kicks
2011: 11 Games Played, 23 Tackles, 3.0 Tackles for Loss
2010: 11 Games Played, 9 Tackles,1 Fumble Forced
2009: 7 Games Played, 3 Tackles
2008: Redshirted
Scouting Report
Strengths
Nick Williams is a freak athlete at 309 pounds. He's got long arms, great strength and quickness. He can pass rush, and he can penetrate against the run. He can bull through quite a few different kinds of blockers and is effective as a run defender because he can take on multiple blockers.
His ability to flow to the ball for a man his size is almost unheard of. He reads plays effectively and understands how to play games with the offensive linemen. He's able to use his exceptional athleticism to create plays and is a lump of clay that an NFL coach will love to mold.
Weaknesses
Nick Williams is very inexperienced having played just one year of high school football before coming into the college ranks. He has trouble playing with leverage against some of the blockers in the SoCon as a pass-rusher. He needs to understand how to use his length better in the running game as well.
His hand usage ranges between mediocre and "has no clue what he's doing." This can be improved upon because the Falcons have done a lot of work with MMA training in their defensive unit. Working with Ray "Sugar Bear" Hamilton wouldn't hurt either.
How Does He Fit the Comrade Filter?
Williams was never arrested nor suspended and seems to be the kind of guy that Thomas Dimitroff wants on his team off the field. He's not a captain, but he's definitely a hard worker in the mold of Lamar Holmes. He busts his butt for the team and will be a great fit for the Falcons locker room.
Overview
Nick Williams is a good fit for the long-term pass rush inside at defensive tackle. He can play the 1-technique, 3-technique or even the 5-technique in Mike Nolan's defense. He would be the answer to the depth question at defensive tackle in 2013 but would definitely be able to start on the line in 2014 or beyond if they are unable to re-sign Jonathan Babineaux or Corey Peters.
How He Would Fit Into the Falcons' Plans
While most are thinking Nick falls to the sixth or seventh round, there's something telling me that he will be the Falcons third- or fourth-round pick. They have a tendency to take a player in the third round who isn't on a lot of draft analysts radars but is talented and ends up starting after a year.
All stats used are either from Pro Football Focus's Premium Stats, ESPN, CFBStats or the NFL. All contract information is courtesy Spotrac. All recruiting rankings come from 247Sports.com.
Scott Carasik is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He covers the Atlanta Falcons, NFL and NFL Draft. He also runs DraftFalcons.com.