New York Jets 2019 NFL Draft Profile: Dexter Williams, Notre Dame

The New York Jets need a running back, and they should wait until the later rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft, because one will fall — Dexter Williams.

The last quality running back that was in the New York Jets backfield was LaDainian Tomlinson, and he was at the end of his career. Notre Dame running back and 2019 NFL Draft prospect Dexter Williams isn’t near that level, but in today’s NFL, he’s more than capable of being the man in the backfield that Sam Darnold can trust.

Let’s get the one negative out of the way. He’s going to fall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Not due to talent, though.

After a traffic stop, the police found marijuana in the car, and Notre Dame players were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession, according to Bleacher Report. Williams was suspended for the first four games of the season for the arrest, which also included a charge of possession of a handgun without a license.

After his return, the Fighting Irish offense changed. They went from averaging 31.5 points per game to just a shade under 35. That may not seem like much, but despite the close scoring average only going up a little more than a field goal, the margin of victory went up by about a touchdown. The addition of Williams led to rushing yards per carry and per game going up, which correlated into fewer possessions for the opponents.

As a player, Williams is a patient runner who will look for the crease. He will get you the tough runs that move the chains and get you closer to the sticks as well, but if he finds a crease, he can also give you the spectacular runs. When he finds the hole, he has an innate ability to gain yards after contact and break big runs.

He’s averaging 6.6 yards per carry. According to Football Outsiders, the offensive line is only responsible for 2.3 yards per carry, which is 104th in the country. (FO gives 100 percent of the credit to the offensive line on runs from zero to three yards, 50 percent on runs of four to eight yards and no credit on runs above eight yards.)

The Jets have been looking for a running back, and they may have found their guy. He will be available in the third round or later, and that’ll be a blessing for the Jets.