Steelers Mock Draft: Pittsburgh plugs every roster hole in pre-free agency mock
By Andrew Falce
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James Williams. James Williams. . Miami. S. 4. 2306. James Williams. player.
Steelers mock draft round 4: James Williams, S, Miami
Personally, I hope safety doesn’t end up being a position the Steelers draft this season unless it is with one of their last two picks. The free agency safety market is flooded with good names who can start next to Minkah Fitzpatrick. This means the defense can find a starter there and likely at a fair price, as all of the available options may drive each other's price down.
With this being before free agency though, there is an inherent need for a strong safety that can play in the box. James Williams would provide that, and his home in the NFL will be either there or as a hybrid linebacker eventually. If Pittsburgh for some reason ignores the safety market, he makes sense given their release of Keanu Neal.
Williams is your classic oversized box safety with the athleticism to make plays close to the line of scrimmage. The deeper he plays, the worse his tape gets. While not his strong suit, he does have the ability to play man-defense and work against tight ends when needed.
In terms of need, safety has to be one of the bigger ones right now given the fact there is no running mate next to Fitzpatrick. I have high hopes that a free agent is brought in to fix this. If the team enters the draft with safety still as a need though, Williams fits what the team will want to do at the position.