NFL Draft: Re-drafting every first-round pick from 2017 NFL Draft: 26, WR Mike Williams
Originally selected 7th overall (-19)
The talent is clearly still all there, but for whatever reason, wide receiver Mike Williams simply hasn’t put it all together just yet.
There are several advantages when you play at a big-time program like Clemson. For starters, the lights, camera and attention are squarely focused on you. Next, you get to play with much better players which in turn, enhances your own statistics. While it sounds great, in actuality, it may have been a detriment to Williams.
In two of his four years playing in Clemson, Williams broke through a thousand receiving yards, including a monster 2016 where he finished the year with 1,361 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. His statistics have been a monumental letdown in the pros thus far, mostly due to his draft position. Only once has Williams reached the thousand yard mark. That’s a major issue considering the talent he displayed while in Clemson and the terrific signal-callers he’s played with in Philip Rivers and now, first year sensation Justin Herbert, there’s simply no excuse for the lack of counting numbers Williams has produced thus far.
We’ll refrain from calling him a bust and simply get him some help. With former MVP Matt Ryan and all-world wide receiver Julio Jones on one side of the field, Williams should have the freedom to flourish a bit more. At least, that’s what Atlanta will be hoping for.