Jonah Williams, OT/OG
School: Alabama | Conference: SEC
College Experience: Junior | Age: 21?
Height / Weight: 6-4 / 302 lbs
Projected Draft Status: 1st or 2nd Round
NFL Comparison: Jake Matthews
College Statistics
N/A
Player Overview
Jonah Williams was 4-star recruit from Folsom, California when he committed to Alabama back in 2015. Williams is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and had wanted to play for the Crimson Tide and did just that by turning down offers from Florida, Georgia, Michigan, and USC among many others. Williams got to work immediately and played right tackle his freshman season as was named as a freshman All-American as well and a the SEC All-Freshman team. He moved to left tackle his sophomore season and had a very successful season where he was named to the All-SEC team again. This past season Williams really took a step forward and was regard as one of the top offensive linemen in the country and one of the top offensive linemen in the draft. He was named as a consensus 1st team All-American and was a finalist for the Outland and Lombardi trophies as a junior. Williams is considered an advanced technician and some scouts believe he can play any position along the offensive line. Tackle prospects usually are expected to have better size especially concerning arm length but Williams just may be the guy who bucks that trend in the league. The upside with him though is that if he doesn’t work at tackle due to physical limitations he can slide into the interior OL and still be a day 1 starter.
Strengths
- Technically sound with decent size and good strength.
- A technician, gets out of his stance quickly, very measured and controlled kick slide and footwork which lets him get good depth off the snap. Has good hand placement and can strike forcefully when engaging rushers. Keeps with at bay with good strength, arm extension, and his able to anchor and hold his ground as he absorbs speed and power.
- Has moves to counter rushers including a powerful punch and a nice swat to prevent defenders from getting their hands on him. Has the lower body strength quickness and balance to make recoveries other guys simply can’t.
- Has great instincts, feel, and awareness for the position and can read defenses and recognize blitzes and stunts. Adjusts accordingly and pivots blocking attention to nearest rusher.
- Can also be a force as a run blocker with a bit of a mauler type style as he latches on and drives his assignment back. Moves well in space and takes good angles to targets in the second level. He can wipe them out and has sprung some big runs doing just that.
Weaknesses
- I hope you’ll get the reference but he reminds me of the Pillsbury Doughboy out there. Get your hands on him with some power below his chest and into his core and he moves backwards off balance with arms flailing. Doubt he does the ‘hmmmhmm!’ though. He needs to play with more consistently with pad level and really make sure he’s using that swat with longer opponents.
- Undersized with short arms for a tackle can have trouble with longer edge players who can generate power as described above.
- Better pass protector than run blocker because he can struggle with his lower half keeping up as he tends to lunge. Needs to show better footwork in this area.
Let’s see his work:
Arm length be damned, Jonah Williams is fun. Love his violence. pic.twitter.com/KQnSRXo9mr
— Zach Goodall (@zach_goodall) April 2, 2019
Nice swat by Alabama LT Jonah Williams. pic.twitter.com/tSm1tQyWjF
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) July 25, 2018
Jonah Williams is such a smooth mover on his combo blocks... Rarely gets off track with slanting/DL movement - processes extremely well...
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) January 5, 2019
Don’t overthink this kid, he’s a stud.... pic.twitter.com/p5FU4dT3E4
Jonah Williams #RAS didn't really move much and still sits right about average. His metrics are a bit more palatable at guard than tackle, though those agility drills are still not good at all. pic.twitter.com/wTUKL9c5JX
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) March 15, 2019
How Would He Fit On The Redskins?
I certainly am not advocating for a 1st round tackle unless the Redskins know something we don’t about either Morgan Moses or Trent Williams but I would always advocate for a 2nd round guard if Williams does drop outside of the first round. He’s still being talked about in the top 20 so a fall to the second round is unlikely but not impossible. I’m going to entertain the thought for the sake of this profile and wager that Williams would be a day one starter at LG and a pretty good one. He has Pro Bowl caliber skills and already is much more proficient technically than a lot of his peers at tackle or guard. Scouts seem to believe he has the technique and smarts to play any position on the OL so that added versatility ought to peek the Redskins interest if he were to slide into the second round. Measurement thresholds are fickle things. Logically if he were an inch taller 15-20 lbs heavier and his arms were 2 inched longer he would be a sure top 10 pick. The NFL is also a fickle place and some teams have really strict boxes they want to check at certain positions and Williams size and arm length may just not cut it for some teams looking for a tackle which may push him down. He would solidify pass protection for the Redskins offensive line and be a good contributor in the run game. His technique, toughness, and finishing ability would certainly help the Redskins OL claim the Hogs 2.0 mantra they have been trying to promote the past couple of seasons. If a 1st round talent drops to the second I hope the Redskins have the card ready.