Steelers scouting profile: Javonte Williams can do it all

Williams Cons

His power was the first thing that popped up on tape, and the second was his long speed. Even in his most dominant game against Miami, his long speed is constantly a problem. He cuts to the outside, breaks a tackle, and is off to the races only to be tracked down by an opposing defender down the field. As stated before, Williams won’t be a homerun threat, but he should be able to pick up chunks of yards instead.

The next major concern is his ability in between the tackles. While he is strong and powerful, he folds pretty easily when swarmed by the defense. This was on display in his game against Notre Dame. The offensive line consistently lost their battles up front and Williams struggled to bounce his runs to the outside. This resulted in him driving up the middle for little to no gain. While all running backs benefit from a good line, it seems like Williams will need one in order to be a true top running back.

Finally, his pass-catching skills weren’t that impressive. While he has the stats to indicate him being a good receiving back, more of that is due to his ability in space as opposed to his route running or hands. He isn’t a natural pass catcher and can rely on his body too much at times. His routes aren’t anything special either. He can serve in that role well enough, but his receiving game is very reminiscent of Conner (good, not great.)