Green Bay Packers NFL Draft prospect profile: TE Maxx Williams
Player Information:
Maxx Williams, TE Minnesota
6-4, 249 pounds
Hometown: Waconia, MN
NFL Combine:
40 yard: 4.78
Bench: 17
Vert: 34.5″
Broad: 117″
Shuttle: 4.37
News and Notes:
Before reading this NFL draft profile of University of Minnesota tight end Maxx Williams, check out this video of Williams leaping over defenders in the Citrus Bowl.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBIeKJPFs-M
Doesn’t watching that make you want to add an extra “X” to your name? Or at least see what Williams would be able to do with Aaron Rodgers as his quarterback? This kid will only be 21 years old come draft time. If the Packers take him, he could turn out to be a Randall Cobb type of player at tight end.
What they’re saying about him:
- NFL.com: “Pass-catching, move tight end with straight-line play speed and an ability to stretch defenses deep. Williams comes from NFL bloodlines and has the self confidence often found in a former player’s son, but he needs to improve his route running in order to become a more complete receiving threat. “
- CBSSports.com: A prospect just scratching the surface of his potential, Williams owns the all-around skill-set that fits all 32 NFL teams with the ability to line up inline, in the backfield or as a flex option out wide. Although not yet a detailed route runner, he has above average top-end speed for the position with a great feel for throws away from his body, making a number of “wow” catches (and runs) on his college film. Williams is young and needs seasoning, but he has NFL pedigree and projects as a mismatch nightmare with the versatile traits to be equally effective as a pass-catcher and blocker.
Video:
Video Analysis:
- I see a ton of straight-line speed, raw athleticism and great hands. Might be one of the better athletes in the draft.
- Speed and athleticism alone won’t cut it in the NFL. Williams will have to develop as a route-runner and and find ways to get open when he simply can’t outrun or outjump somebody.
- All out, all the time. You don’t get a slower gear with Williams. When he goes, he goes hard and he doesn’t care who gets in his way.
- Go back to the first video I posted and watch Williams leap over that first defender. I could watch that all day.
- You could even line Williams up as a flex-fullback and see if you can get him in space on a screen. I wouldn’t want to get in his way if I were a defensive back.
If drafted by the Packers
It might take a few years, but Williams’ ceiling is high. He’s got hands like Richard Rodgers, the athleticism of Jermichael Finley and the cocky attitude of Jermey Shockey. In a weak year for tight ends, Williams really stands out, but I still think he’d stand out even if he had more competition among his fellow tight ends entering the draft. I still can’t stop thinking about what Williams could develop into with Rodgers as his quarterback. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Williams would be tough to handle.
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Adam Czech is a a freelance sports reporter living in the Twin Cities and a proud supporter of American corn farmers. When not working, Adam is usually writing about, thinking about or worrying about the Packers. Follow Adam on Twitter. Twitter .
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TT has forced us to draft D players (again)early in the draft. We need a CB or ILB or a stud DL. TE is a pipe dream.
That’s an accurate observation, GBPDAN. Drafting a TE now is a luxury pick. Prior to the start of free agency, I had the hope that we could upgrade the TE position somewhat, perhaps in the 3rd round, with Rutgers’ Tyler Kroft or Penn St.’s Jesse James after we fill our needs at ILB and DL Of course, Maxx Williams would be long gone by then. But, even that hope has been destroyed by the new need at CB. I guess we’ll have to settle for someone like Blake Bell after all.
I’m a fan of Kroft (and Koyack out of Notre Dame) as well, based on where he’s likely to go in the draft and how he fits Packer needs. I suspect Williams will be overdrafted based on the weak TE class this year. At this point, I think there’s enough talent on the roster at WR that what they really need at TE is that big, tall red zone threat…and they can find that later.
What we don’t see, or really know, is how prepared the players the Packers took last year–namely Goodson and Bradford–are to step in and have meaningful roles. Only the coaching staff really knows that. Could be those guys will be ready to make immediate and impactful contributions on defense. If so, then I don’t know that the Packers are all that cornered (see what I did there?) in terms of their upcoming draft strategy.
Honestly I tend to agree that the draft stragety will likely go the way you describe…after all, if Bradford was going to be some kind of panacea for the defense, I suspect he would have been active last fall. He probably fits the mode of the downhill plugger and inside rusher more than the coverage ILB the Packers need, though.
My guess is that the coaching staff doesn’t know about Bradford and Goodson yet, though they might have some idea. Bradford looks like he can cover. Nice, fluid hips and he is fast enough. Maxx Williams looks like a 2nd round talent, but he is clearly the best TE so he will go late 1st or early 2nd. Right now it does look like TT won’t have any luxury picks unless he likes a lot of the ILBs…. or doesn’t like any of them too much and waits to see who falls.
Might as well use a first round pick on a TE and have a kickass offense cause it will take much more than 1 person to resurrect the defense. Lets face it we have more holes than swiss cheese in our defense… And there is only one person we can blame for this, his initials are TT.
The vid of Maxx hurdling over defenders didn’t work out so well for last years UFA sensation Colt Lyerla :-{ I do recall.
Drafting him in the first round is a ridiculous idea. Nearly all the tight ends that have been drafted high in recent years haven’t lived up to their draft position. Kyle Rudolph, Zach Ertz, Tyler Eifert, Eric Ebron, Coby Fleener…wouldn’t trade our first round pick for any of these guys and they were all better prospects than Maxx Williams.