PROSPECT SUMMARY - TRILL WILLIAMS

Trill Williams was a steady presence in the Syracuse secondary since 2018 where he spent time at wide corner, slot corner, and at safety. While he is versatile and has appeal in any role, I like him best at wide corner. Williams is long, rangy, athletic, physical, and aggressive. His physical skill set is exceptional and he doesn’t have any restrictions. He is springy and explosive, capable of thriving in both man and zone coverage. With that said, he does have room to grow when it comes to anticipatory skills and there were some instances where he didn’t get his head around to the football with his back to the line of scrimmage. He had three return touchdowns in his three seasons in college and has a knack for coming up with big plays. For a team looking for a versatile defensive back that can be a matchup-neutralizer, Williams has the physical gifts to do that. There is immense potential when it comes to the roles he can fill in the NFL and the ways he can make an impact.

Ideal Role: Wide corner.

Scheme Fit: Any.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by: Joe Marino

Games watched: North Carolina (2020), Pittsburgh (2020), Pittsburgh (2019), Wake Forest (2019), Clemson (2019), Clemson (2018), Boston College (2018)

Best Game Studied: Boston College (2018)

Worst Game Studied: Pittsburgh (2019)

Man Coverage Skills: Williams has an exciting skill set to function in man coverage. His size, length, and speed are major assets when carrying routes down the field and he’s smooth enough to stay connected to all levels of the field. While he can develop more pattern recognition skills, his traits create some margin for error.

Zone Coverage Skills: Williams has better zone reps playing outside corner than he does in the slot. He is fully capable of staying leveraged but he has a tendency to drift and lose his man when playing in the slot. He would fit well as an outside corner in a Cover 2/Cover 3 scheme.

Ball Skills: Williams didn’t have a ton of ball production in college, but he had some impressive moments breaking on the football and disrupting at the catch point. I love how aggressive he is to go for forced fumbles and steal the football out of the hands of the ball carrier. When he can play forward and drive on the football, Williams has his best moments at the catch point but there were some instances that he didn’t get his head around with his back to the line of scrimmage.

Tackling: Williams has the size, length, and physicality to be a consistent tackler in the NFL. With that said, playing with more control will be important as there were times in college that playing without it led to misses. His tackling ability was far better in 2018 when he played wide corner as opposed to 2019/20 when he played mostly from the slot.

Versatility: Williams has spent time at wide corner, slot corner, and safety. With that said, I like him best either at wide corner or safety. If a team is looking for a Swiss Army knife to play the matchups with in the secondary, Williams can be that guy.

Competitive Toughness: Williams is a competitive and aggressive player. I’ve never seen a guy so frequently rip the ball out of a ball carrier’s hands like I have seen Williams. He is enthusiastic in pursuit, flights to clear contact, and is a physical player.

Functional Athleticism: Williams is an elite athlete. He has quickness, fluidity, and long speed. There are no concerns about him having the requisite athleticism to fill any role in the secondary.

Football IQ: Williams’ ability to fill so many roles in the secondary speaks to his football intelligence. With that said, he has room for improvement when it comes to anticipatory skills. He plays fast.

Run Defending: Williams is a sound run defender that is always willing to be physical. He will take on blocks and spill runs back to pursuit and he knows how to play through contact and finish. He will make an NFL defense better against the run.

Length: Williams has terrific length and he knows how to use it. It’s an asset for him in press coverage, at the catch point, and when tackling. He also does a good job of playing with extension when taking on blocks, which helps him clear.

Prospect Comparison: James Bradberry (2016 NFL Draft, Carolina Panthers)