Alabama WR Jameson Williams

6-foot-1
180 pounds

Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade

6.50 — certain first-rounder; immediate-impact prospect

TL;DR scouting report

Explosive vertical threat who plays with an edge broke out in 2021, but a torn ACL likely will wipe out a chunk of his rookie season

The skinny

A 4-star Rivals recruit (No. 87 nationally) in the Class of 2019, Williams committed to Ohio State over many Big Ten and SEC schools. He spent two seasons there amid a crowded receiver group, catching 15 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns in 22 career games. Prior to the 2021 season, Williams transferred to Alabama and immediately claimed a starting spot. In 15 games last season, he caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 TDs; returned 10 kickoffs for 352 yards and two TDs; and rushed three times for 23 yards. He suffered a torn ACL in the national championship game vs. Georgia but declared for the 2022 NFL draft following the season.

Upside

• Game-breaking speed when healthy — forces defenders to alter their geometry in pursuit

• Absurd big-play production in 2021 — 11 touchdowns of 30-plus yards, including four TDs of 70-plus

• True home-run hitter who can take the top off a defense — demands deep safety attention

• Reaches max mph quickly

• High-school hurdler with outstanding lower-body explosion and burst

• Changes route speeds — will hit corners with off-speed pitches, followed by late heat

• Once he stacks a corner, it's usually over

• Surprising length (6-1 1/2 with 32 1/4-inch arms) to catch balls outside his frame

• Not just a deep threat — averaged nearly 10 yards per catch on balls caught behind line of scrimmage

• Good tunnel vision to navigate screens and quick hitters through traffic

• Natural YAC ability with combination of speed, quickness and small target zone

• Fits well as a "Z" receiver and in the slot

• Good football IQ on display on heads-up play vs. LSU

• Returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2021 in first college crack at that duty

• Willing special-teams performer — made several plays as a gunner on kickoff and punt coverage

• Turns 21 years old in March — vast, untapped upside to develop

Downside

• Torn ACL could wipe out big chunk of rookie season

• One-year wonder who never broke through at Ohio State, one of the most fertile WR landscapes

• Very lean build — could use a layer of body armor

• Not strong enough to consistently battle through contact at catch point

• Attention to details needs refinement — still learning finer points of his craft

• Dropped a few would-be touchdowns last season, lost two fumbles

• Looks more comfortable, effective lining up on the right side of the formation

• Release from press coverage can't just be about speed

• Blocking effort and effectiveness is more miss than hit

• Some missed tackles on special teams; can fly downfield a bit out of control on coverage units

• Maturity questions arose at Ohio State, requiring teams to dive in on his character

Best-suited destination

Ideally, the team that drafts Williams can be patient with his recovery from knee surgery and will feature a vertical passing game with a quarterback who consistently can push the ball downfield. His upside is vast, but the payoff won't be immediate. Prior to the injury, he'd have had a shot at the top 10 picks but is likely to slide a bit now. Among the teams that could consider Williams include the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Indianapolis Colts, Las Vegas Raiders, Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Chargers.

Did you know

As a senior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep (Mo.), Williams broke Ezekiel Elliott's state record in the 300-meter hurdles and won two state track and field titles in his high-school career.

Player comp

Physically speaking, Williams is not too different from last year's No. 12 overall pick, DeVonta Smith. But the player he most reminds us of, style-wise, is Brandin Cooks — but a longer version of him.

Expected draft range

First round