Undrafted free agent Josh Williams has received a good bit of hype from the Bucs personnel staff of late.

“You know, we added one [running back] this year, he’s probably going to turn a lot of heads in preseason,” Licht said about Williams on the Pewter Report Podcast earlier this month. “Josh Williams, he’s been really, really good. Smart, real twitchy, quick, catches with his hands well, very smooth and understands protections. So it’s going to be fun to watch this preseason.”

The former LSU Tiger is the latest in what has become an embarrassment of riches for Tampa Bay on the offensive side of the ball. Going beyond the pass catching options quarterback Baker Mayfield has to throw to, the Bucs backfield is already stacked with last year’s breakout rookie Bucky Irving along with dependable Rachaad White and Sean Tucker.

As it stands, Williams stands a long shot to make the team’s final 53-man roster. Still, what do the Bucs have in the 24-year-old rookie?

Josh Williams College Production And Physical Profile

A former walk-on, Josh Williams spent five years at LSU, playing in 60 games and tallying 1,494 yards on 314 carries. Despite the success story of how he was able to find playing time at an SEC powerhouse, he was never able to establish himself as a starter. As such, he never topped 600 rushing yards or 10 carries per game in any of his five seasons in Baton Rouge.

Bucs RB Josh Williams – Photo by: USA Today

Williams’ most productive season was his last when he ran for 482 yards and added another 263 yards through the air while finding the end zone six times. Looking at his underlying advanced metrics, he ranked in the 17th percentile in yards after contact per carry (2.95), 42nd percentile in forced missed tackle rate (20.5%) and 10th percentile for explosive run rate (10.3%).

Factoring in his below average production and lack of usage in a deep running back draft class, it makes sense why he went undrafted this past April. But there are some really interesting qualities about Williams that make him an intriguing pickup for the Bucs. His Relative Athletic Score from Kent Lee Platte is a strong number, boosted by his impressive performance in the explosivity drills.

Josh Williams RAS from @mathbomb.bsky.social. Watching him you can see the explosiveness in how he cuts and can get to top speed quickly.

[image or embed]

— Josh Queipo (@joshqueipo.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 3:48 PM

I watched four of the final five games of Williams’ collegiate career. He and the Tigers faced off against Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma.

Strengths

Josh Williams’ smaller stature allows him to find creases and holes that aren’t readily available to other backs. He also keeps a low center of gravity and pairs that with plus contact balance to shake arm tackles and improper wrap- ups in the hole. This all adds up to him quietly pushing forward for an extra half to full yard on your more routine plays where holes don’t fully open.

Nice center of gravity here.

[image or embed]

— Josh Queipo (@joshqueipo.bsky.social) June 21, 2025 at 12:29 PM

It’s at the line of scrimmage where Williams is at his best. He has plus vision and marries it well with quick, concise jump cuts and short strides to help him get to the best hole more often than not. This is where you can see his explosivity on the field. He can quickly move from one possible exit plan to another and get to his top speed quickly.

Josh Williams with a nice creative bounce w/good vision as the counter doesn’t quite develop as designed.

[image or embed]

— Josh Queipo (@joshqueipo.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 3:35 PM

One area that the Tigers really relied upon Williams was on 3rd down and it is where he really shined. As a receiver he offers a reliable check down option with solid hands. He does the most damage when he is able to get the ball from a planted position and immediately turn up field as a north and south runner. As a pass blocker he pairs a fearless mentality with active eyes to scan for pressure from all directions.

Weaknesses

Josh Williams lacks an explosive final gear. And when given the opportunity to make cuts or breaks in the open field he struggles to exaggerate his moves to escape the grasp of his opponent. For these reasons he is not much of a homerun threat. He can work well from 0-10 yards, but anything he brings beyond that should be seen as a bonus rather than an expectation.

Bucs RB Josh Williams – Photo by: USA Today

Additionally, his size works against him in numerous ways. As a runner he struggles to win fully when initiating contact. While he is a smart pass protector, his lack of size forces him to more get in the way and slow pass rushers than fully stone them. His smaller frame gives him a smaller catch radius as a receiver, and he struggled to reel in slightly off-target throws below his waist.

I don’t think it is likely he is able to overtake Sean Tucker or Rachaad White for a spot on the depth chart. As a potential practice squad player, he has a real place on a depth chart for a playoff contender to help survive injuries. Should Bucky Irving, White or Tucker go down and the Bucs needed 5-10 snaps per game from Williams, he could fill-in as part of a successful backfield. His high-IQ as a pass protector and solid production as a receiver make him an ideal fit as a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none backup to help spell a more featured back with whom the Bucs have plenty on the roster.