Kansas City Chiefs: James Williams could emerge as valuable commodity
After selecting Darwin Thompson in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs also signed James Williams, who could step up into a key role on offense.
The Kansas City Chiefs have been enveloped in plenty of turmoil over the past few months, largely beginning with the video that led to the release of running back Kareem Hunt. Regardless of the team’s handling of such situations, though, they have also worked to try and replace a player who was a dynamic force for their offense.
Yes, the Chiefs saw Spencer Ware leave in free agency, but they still have Damien Williams, who stepped up big down the stretch for Kansas City, and signed Carlos Hyde. Moreover, general manager Brett Veach also dipped into the running back pool in the 2019 NFL Draft as he took Darwin Thompson out of Utah State with the final pick of the sixth round. Overlooked in this mix, though, might be the addition of James Williams as an undrafted free agent.
Williams, a product of Mike Leach at Washington State, is not a between-the-tackles runner. Instead, like Thompson, he’s a player that thrives when he’s out in space, particularly as a pass-catcher. More importantly, though, his film shows that he might have more polish in that regard than Thompson, despite the Utah State product getting drafted and Williams seeing all 254 picks announced without his name being called.
When Hunt was a part of the Chiefs offense, one his most valuable traits was his ability as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. In his 27 games with Kansas City, Hunt amassed 79 catches for 833 yards and 10 touchdowns. Though Damien Williams is adept in that regard, James Williams can potentially come in and contribute in that way.
Over his three seasons on the field for Washington State, Williams accrued 202 receptions for 1,437 yards and eight touchdowns. In the high-octane Cougars offense that Leach runs, he proved to be a weapon out of the backfield, a reliable pass-catcher to check down to and allow to make plays in space.
dark. Next. NFL Power Rankings: Best player to wear each jersey number
There will likely be a camp battle between Thompson and Williams this offseason for a third running back spot on the roster to fill the role of being a scat back that can be a receiving threat. Again though, Williams is the more polished prospect in that regard at this point. If that continues to be proven throughout the offseason, the UDFA could very well earn a roster spot and have a meaningful role to play in the 2019 Chiefs offense.