PROSPECT SUMMARY - MILTON WILLIAMS

Louisiana Tech EDGE Milton Williams was productive over the last two seasons for the Bulldogs, where he racked up 104 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks over that span. Louisiana Tech played him both as a 5-technique and occasionally on the interior. I believe his best chance in the NFL comes in a defense that gives him opportunities to play on the edge on early downs with chances to rush from interior gaps on long and late downs. He is a terrific run defender that processes well, plays with extension, and has good power at the point of attack. As a pass rusher, Williams keeps his hands engaged and relentlessly competes to clear contact. He has good twitch in his upper body and the agility needed to get around the edges of blockers. Williams has a chance to factor into the defensive line rotation early in his NFL career with the upside to command a majority of the snaps as he develops.

Ideal Role: Base end, interior pass rusher.

Scheme Fit: Multiple.

FILM EVALUATION

Written by: Joe Marino

Games watched: BYU (2020), UAB (2020), North Texas (2020), Georgia Southern (2020)

Best Game Studied: North Texas (2020)

Worst Game Studied: BYU (2020)

First-Step Explosiveness: Williams can be tardy out of his stance and he lacks a dynamic first step. He was often in a four-point stance and asked to defend multiple gaps, so the slow get-off is somewhat expected. With that said, when it was time to explode and penetrate, he demonstrated rapid quickness out of his stances and can stress blockers to stay square and keep him off their edges.

Flexibility: Williams has a twitchy upper body and he is fully capable of reducing his surface area and working around the edges of blocks. He isn’t quite as loose in his lowers but he does have enough to corner blocks. Overall, Williams has good agility and can work back across his momentum when necessary.

Hand Counters: Williams’ hands stay busy on every snap. He does well to work his hands, combine moves, and compete to get off blocks. He doesn’t have a go-to move, but his hands stay engaged.

Length: Williams has sufficient length and he does well to play with extension. As a two-gapping defensive end in college, he did a good job of controlling reps at the point of attack and keeping his pads clean. He doesn’t have vines for arms, but he uses his length well.

Hand Power: Williams has a decent amount of pop in his hands and good grip strength. When he does get his arms locked out, he doesn’t easily concede hand placement and he can control reps against the run. Heavy hands are a big reason why he made plays in college and embracing a compression-style role in the NFL will be important for him to carve out his niche.

Run Defending: Williams is an excellent run defender. He processes quickly and understands how to respond so he can maintain his run fit. He sets firm edges and does well to squeeze down.

Effort: Williams plays the game with consistently good effort. He shows good enthusiasm in pursuit and is always willing to chase and rally to the football. He is rarely stuck on blocks and competes throughout each rep.

Football IQ: Williams is a terrific processor against the run and he has good vision overall. While I think he can improve his technique, he keeps his hands engaged and does well to play with extension. He plays with good leverage and was only flagged for three penalties in his entire career.

Lateral Mobility: Williams is best in condensed spaces. He isn’t going to track down perimeter runs to the boundary, so maintaining leverage, playing with great technique, and processing quickly is critical for his success. He is not a candidate to stand up or play in space.

Versatility: Williams’ best role comes as a base end that gets chances to rush from the interior. He served as both a 5-technique in odd fronts at Louisiana Tech with plenty of reps aligned on the interior. He has playmaking ability as a run defender and pass rusher.

Prospect Comparison: Malik Jackson (2012 NFL Draft, Denver Broncos)