Do the Pittsburgh Steelers really need another cornerback with recent free agent Steven Nelson being signed? The answer is yes. Joe Haden is now 30 years old with an expiring contract. Haden has the knack for not staying healthy for a full season either. Colbert recently talked about how he doesn’t like his rookies starting right away which means Williams can learn the ropes, refine his technique and benefit from soaking in all he needs to in order to be a successful NFL cornerback.
Background
Greedy Williams #29
Louisiana State University (LSU)
Cornerback
6’2″ 185lbs
Junior
– Legal name is Andraez Williams
– Majored in Sports Administration
– 2018 Thorpe Award Finalist
– 2018 First-Team All-America
– 2018 First-Team All-SEC
– Brother is starting cornerback for Oklahoma State
2019 Combine
40 yard dash: 4.37s
2018 Stats
33 tackles (23 solo), 2 INT, 9 PD
What’s To Like
Long frame with good length. A sticky man-cover corner with good route recognition. Versatile player, can play in zone or man schemes. Willingness to come up and tackle. Recovery speed is top notch. Very smooth hips, can switch his body movements on the move and quickly. Keeps eyes on the quarterback and doesn’t give into play fakes. Lodges ball out of the opponent’s possession, disrupts the catch point often. Has experience blitzing off the edge effectively. Quickly click and closes. Performed very well against potential-first rounder DK Metcalf.
????DB 101: Off coverage, CBs please don’t go flying back if you can run TRUST YOUR SPEED! Greedy Williams trusts his speed and feet which results in a great interception. @WeAreDBNation1 #LSU #DBU pic.twitter.com/a1BjHfzr2t
— GASCREW_ELITE™? ?????? (@TFootballGeek) June 15, 2018
Concerns
Frame concerns as he needs to add muscle. Strength is below par, needs to get stronger off the snap. Tackling technique needs some work. A ton of lunging and diving, rarely wraps up. Doesn’t jam much in press coverage, allows a free release too often. Can get grabby playing the player on downfield throws. Perhaps too much trash talk and antics on the field. Effort in the run game is a bit concerning. Has difficulty getting off blocks, effort and strength an issue here.
Verdict
There’s no doubt that Williams has a high ceiling and the tools and potential to reach that ceiling. The effort and love for the game needs to be present. Working hard on and off the field needs to be his calling card. If Williams reaches that ceiling, he could be a top 10 cornerback in this league and a shutdown one at that. If the NFL gets the best of him, it would be another waste of talent. Haden’s expiring contract and health issues scare me a bit, so the Steelers should be proactive in replacing him in the near future.
This is a high risk, high reward player that would scare me slightly if I didn’t get to formally meet him and talk to him. His length, athleticism and ball skills should be highly coveted by the Steelers. If Greedy makes it to pick 20, there is going to be a very interesting conversation to be had. Williams is a top 25 player.
Grade: Round 1
Projection: Round 1
Games Watched: 2018 Ole Miss, 2018 Auburn, 2018 Georgia, 2018 Miami, 2018 Texas A&M
Credits: Youtube, Sports Reference, LSU Athletics, LWoPF (img)
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