Mocking The Draft: If Leonard Williams Is The Best Player, Why Can’t He Be The No. 1 Overall Pick?
Mocking The Draft is a weekly column that is featured every Saturday leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft. It will question, criticize and mock NFL Draft culture. As Henry McKenna is an avid NFL Draft nut, he’ll do some self-deprecating, too.Jameis Winston has problems off the field. Many expect Marcus Mariota to have trouble on the field. But there’s a player that has Winston-esque production and Mariota-esque character. It’s just that he doesn’t play quarterback.Leonard Williams is the most talented prospect in the 2015 NFL Draft. So, why isn’t he getting any No. 1 overall hype?The Texans took Jadeveon Clowney last year, and proved you don’t need to draft a quarterback in the first round to have a turnaround season. If a team uses a veteran quarterback to keep them afloat, they don’t have to endure the carnage that ensues when starting a rookie quarterback not named Andrew Luck.The Texans finished above .500, while all teams that picked a quarterback in the first round went under .500, including the Jaguars (3-13), the Raiders (3-13), the Browns (7-9) and the Vikings (7-9). Correlation doesn’t necessarily indicate causation, and every team had different issues. But because Winston and Mariota – and all of the quarterbacks in the 2015 draft class – are particularly imperfect, why not pick the guy with the greatest hair in the draft, who just so happens to be the man with the most talent?Screw conventional wisdom that says quarterbacks are the solution to an ailing franchise. How has that worked out for the Rams since they drafted Sam Bradford or the Jaguars since they drafted Blaine Gabbert? And what about the Browns with Johnny Manziel (2014), Brandon Weeden (2012), Colt McCoy (2010) and Brady Quinn (2007)? In fact, the Browns had a good season, despite drafting Johnny Manziel. The Bills are another team — with a particularly good defensive line — that has gotten wins in spite of taking a first-round quarterback (E.J. Manuel).Josh McCown showed in 2013 with the Bears that he can wing the ball around, when given the right tools. He’s got some similarities to Texans’ Ryan Fitzpatrick or Bills’ Kyle Orton.The Buccaneers aren’t going to win the Super Bowl next year, and the quarterbacks this year have all the makings of being the 2011 NFL Draft all over again, where Christian Ponder, Jake Locker and Gabbert were thrust in to draft positions they didn’t deserve. Mariota and Winston are being forced into the top spot, and forcing quarterbacks up the draft board rarely works out for either party involved.Here are some things to know about Williams:Player ComparisonWhat makes Leonard Williams most fun to talk about is his positionless nature. Some sites list him as a defense end, while others put him at defensive tackle. That’s because he’s something of a Richard Seymour reincarnate, a chameleon on the field. As long as the Buccaneers defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier is creative enough — which he is — Williams will be an incredibly versatile threat. He’s also got some J.J. Watt and 2012 Buccaners sack-leader, now-Seahawks’ Michael Bennett in him. Williams is a massive human being at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds. He’s incredibly quick and bull-rushes linemen with ease. His hands are fast, too, as he has the essential ability to beat linemen with his foot- and hand-work. He can defend the run by tracking down running backs and mobile quarterbacks in the backfield.How He Fits In TampaDefensive tackle isn’t a need for the Buccaneers, but nor was it a need for the Bills when they took Marcell Dareus. And defensive end wasn’t a need when the Texans took Clowney. Plus, Williams has none of the character or health concerns that Clowney had and has.Akeem Spence is the Bucs’ No. 2 defensive tackle that lines up with Gerald McCoy. Second-stringer Clinton McDonald is more than just a backup, however, as he was third on the team with 6.5 sacks. Williams could rotate with the three veteran defensive tackles – particularly with Spence. But he doesn’t have to come out of the game when Spence or McDonald get snaps. The Buccaneers can drum up some interesting schemes and cause confusion with Williams wreaking havoc at defensive end. And very occasionally, he could stand up, as he’s shown that he could run will college running backs (he’s got two career interceptions).Fun Facts1. His old nickname is “Big Air” because he used to spend a lot of time at skate parks.2. He didn’t start playing football until he was in high school. When they told him he was too big for pop warner, he started crying — he thought the guy was calling him fat.3. He almost went to Florida. Combining that hypothetical with the hypothetical health of former-Gators, now-Patriots rookie Dominique Easely, could you imagine how amazing Will Muschamp’s defensive line would have been two years ago?Highlight video below:Unblockable Force || Leonard Williams Highlights ?? http://youtu.be/hOEQS_ucHpg source: http://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/mocking-the-draft-if-leonard-williams-is-the-best-player-why-can-he-be-the-no-1-overall-pick/
