A return of our Summer Scouting Series here at Steelers Depot as we highlight several 2024 NFL Draft hopefuls that are generating buzz prior to the start of the 2023 CFB season at positions that the Pittsburgh Steelers may have interest in several months from now once the pre-draft process gets underway.
#0 James Williams, S, Miami (Junior) – 6-foot-5, 215 pounds
 The Good
— Has great size and a long, athletic frame
— Possesses good play speed and explosiveness
— Shows good pursuit of the football as a run-and-chase defender
— Opportunistic safety that will rip at the ball once he’s wrapped up the ball carrier
— Hard hitter who enforces the middle of the field
— Looks to bring big collisions to jar the ball out on contact
— Length aids in ability to step in front and defend passes
— Has shown the ability to work off blocks and set the edge against the run
— Utilized as a sub-package linebacker in the box as well as a strong safety
— Has good tackling technique, breaking down in the open field to come to balance
— Can click-and-close quickly on the ball once thrown
The Bad
— Needs to work on mobility and fluidity on coverage drops, playing too high
— Can do a better job of aggressively attacking blocks against the run
— Splash plays are lacking for a player of his size and skill set
— Needs to improve staying sticky in man coverage
— Isn’t the quickest athlete when it comes to transitions in coverage and playing backward
Bio
— Junior Prospect from Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
— Born February 15, 2003 (age 20)
— A five-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals, #1 safety in recruiting class
— Played HS ball for powerhouse Plantation American Heritage
— Selected to the Under Armour All-America Game and U.S. Army All-American Bowl
— Saw action in 10 games and made seven starts as a freshman in 2021 and made 31 tackles, 1/2 TFL, and two interceptions
— Saw action in 11 games, making 10 starts as a sophomore and recording 58 total stops (38 solo), one TFL, one interception, six PBUs, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble
— Earned All-ACC honorable mention (2021)
Tape Breakdown
James Williams looked destined for the league coming out of Plantation American Heritage High School, starring as a safety/linebacker hybrid who made multiple plays in coverage while also excelling close to the line of scrimmage. He committed to in-state Miami over a plethora of other tantalizing offers, looking to follow in the footsteps of other former Hurricane greats who shined playing safety at The U.
When you turn on the tape on Williams, the first thing that you notice is his size. The defensive back stands 6-foot-5, 215 pound and looks every part of it, having the length to minimize passing lanes as well as the size to come down and play in the box as a sub-package linebacker. Here’s an example of Williams playing as a linebacker in the box against Southern Miss, flowing laterally with the ball and managing to redirect in space and make a big hit to knock the football out. We see in the second clips versus Duke that Williams looks for the strip once forward progress is stopped, forcing the fumble and recovering it.
Williams is a big hitter at safety who acts like a traffic cop patrolling the middle of the field. He rallies to the ball well with good effort in pursuit and arrives with nasty intentions for the ball carrier. Here are a couple of examples of Williams coming downhill and making some big hits on the ball, finishing through the receiver, and taking him into the turf.
Williams does a good job of recognizing passes underneath and clicking and closing on the football in a hurry to disrupt the pass. Watch this play against Georgia Tech. Williams hits the receiver as soon as he catches the football, planting him into the turf and knocking the ball out for the incomplete pass.
Williams’ size and length aid in his ability to fight off blocks near the line of scrimmage as well as down the field to make tackles. Here are two clips with the first clip showing Williams keeping his outside leg and arm free against the TE, working off the block to make the stop at the line of scrimmage. The second clip shows Williams working off the block by Florida State WR Johnny Wilson, shedding it and violently gator rolling the runner to the ground.
When it comes to coverage, Williams does well working in the short and intermediate portions of the field, excelling as a zone coverage defender who can quickly identify the pass and work toward forcing the incompletion or stepping in front of the receiver for the pick. We see the latter here on this rep. Williams makes his drop, sees the check down over the middle, and runs in front of the intended target to make the interception.
When it comes to negatives on Williams, he doesn’t always play to his listed size when it comes to taking on and shedding blocks. Sure, stacking and shedding offensive linemen for a defensive back is a tall task, but on this rep, we see a lack of urgency from Williams. He gets covered up on a block, working more outside which creates a huge running lane up the middle that the runner exploits for an explosive run.
Conclusion
James Williams is a big, physical safety prospect who is built in a similar mold to former Hurricanes star Sean Taylor, looking the part coming off the bus. His play backs that up as Williams is a powerful hitter who looks to impose his will in the secondary and give receivers second thoughts about catching passes over the middle. He is a capable coverage defender who works well covering short and intermediate passes but can a better job playing less upright and staying sticky when it comes to running with receivers man to man.
The Steelers currently have Keanu Neal and Damontae Kazee at safety beside Minkah Fitzpatrick but could use a long-term running mate beside him who can operate as a strong safety/sub-package linebacker within their defense. Williams is an ideal candidate for that role, projecting like current Cowboys S Jayron Kearse, who also has impressive size for the position. Should Pittsburgh prioritize the safety position this coming April, Williams is a name to watch.
Projection: Day Two
Games Watched: vs Florida State (2022), at Clemson (2022), at Georgia Tech (2022)
