Oakland Raiders: Realistic options at No. 4 during the 2019 NFL Draft
By Kevin Saito
Greedy Williams, CB, LSU
Depending on who you listen to, either Baker or Williams is the best cover corner in this year’s draft class. It may just come down to perception and a matter of degree though. What’s not in doubt is that should the Raiders take either Baker or Williams at No. 4, they’ll be getting themselves a fantastic corner and a terrific complement to Conley.
Some cite Williams’ size (6-3, 185 pounds) as a reason for concern, given the struggles some taller, bigger corners have had against the league’s smaller, faster receivers, a la Tyreek Hill and Brandin Cooks. Think former Raider CB Sean Smith and you’ll get the picture.
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Williams’ size though, hasn’t been a detriment. His speed and athleticism have allowed him to prevent separation and allowed him to stay with smaller, quicker receivers.
Though his sample size is small – 24 games over his two seasons at LSU – Williams has put a lot of great stuff on tape, amassing eight interceptions and 19 passes defensed. He’s been a lockdown corner over his tenure and is somebody with the potential to be a lockdown corner at the next level.
If there’s one knock on Williams, it’s that he’s not a very willing tackler in run support, often staying well off the line and only sticking his nose into it when he has to. He takes poor angles and never tries to body up a ballcarrier, trying only to slow them down enough that somebody else can finish them off.
That’s a stark contrast to Georgia’s Baker and one that Gruden/Mayock will need to consider as it could be one factor in some scouts believing Williams to be a little bit overrated. Gruden needs willing tacklers at every position, not guys who are going to make business decisions all the time.
That being said, as a pure cover corner, Williams is definitely at or near the top and that may warrant some serious thought and discussion about burning the No. 4 pick on him.