OT TRENT WILLIAMS
Height: 6-5 Weight: 315
Born: 7/19/1988, Longview, TX
College: Oklahoma
High School: Longview HS (TX)
OKLAHOMA PROFILE PAGE (includes several videos)
BIOGRAPHY
A native of Longview, Texas, Williams attended Longview High School, where he was a unanimous first team all-district selection as a senior. Considered a three-star recruit by Rivals.com, Williams was listed as the No. 28 offensive guard prospect in the nation.
College career
Playing as a true freshman, Williams became the starter at right tackle just before the Missouri game in late October 2006 after Branndon Braxton went down with a broken leg, then started the last six games of the season. Williams played 462 snaps, had 75 knockdowns, and was named to The Sporting News’ Freshman All-America second team.
In his sophomore year, Williams saw action in all 14 games and had six starts at right tackle, sharing time with Branndon Braxton. As a junior in 2008, he started all 14 games, the first at left tackle and the remaining 13 at right tackle, and registered 131 knockdowns. He was part of a dominant Sooners offensive line that included Duke Robinson, Phil Loadholt and Brandon Walker, and allowed only 11 sacks all season, the third-lowest total of any team in the country. The two teams that finished above them (Air Force and Navy) combined to attempt 231 passes. Oklahoma attempted 476, and became the highest-scoring team in the modern era (702 points).
The lone holdover from the 2008 offensive line, Williams was listed at No. 2 on Rivals.com′s 2009 preseason offensive tackle power ranking. He was also named to the 2009 Outland Trophy watch list. Despite missing the regular season finale due to injury, Williams led Oklahoma with 102 knockdown blocks and 885 plays, and was named an All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.
VIDEO
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[media] (@2:40)
SCOUTING REPORTS
WALTER FOOTBALL
Strengths:
Solid height and bulk
Long arms
Very athletic
Gets set quickly
Nice lateral movement
Consistent footwork and mirrors well
Patient; gets comfortable in stance
Gets to second level
Displays short range explosion
Light on his feet
Great balance
Instinctive; counters moves well
Nice stunt/blitz awareness
Effective hand punch
Shows ability to handle elite speed off edge
Weaknesses:
Lacks a nasty demeanor
Not very physical in run game
Sometimes lets rushers into body
Occasionally has bad posture
Must sustain blocks at higher level
Lapses in concentration
Looks a little stiff with knee bend
Summary: Trent Williams is a very solid left tackle prospect, but he has lots of room to improve in the running game and I don't think he will ever be considered an elite pass protector in the NFL. Williams is making the move from right to left tackle in 2009, and NFL scouts will be monitoring his progress closely. The official Oklahoma Web site claims he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.82 seconds... we'll see about that at the Combine.
Player Comparison: Donald Penn. Penn is an athletic pass protector, but lacks a nasty demeanor against the run.
MOCKING THE DRAFT
Pass Blocking: Williams was inconsistent in his pass protection in 2009, his first year at left tackle. At times, he was slow to adjust and get set. He works well enough to the outside, but counter moves to the inside gave him trouble. Is a natural knee bender, and has solid agility, so it's not out of the question that he could stay on the left side.
Pulling/Trapping: Used some on slide blocking and showed the footwork to move around good enough. Although he needs to improve his footwork some, it's good enough for the few times he'll probably be asked to pull or trap.
Run Blocking: Played in a man blocking scheme and looked good playing the run. He has a toughness that a lot of this year's top linemen don't possess. Williams gets good position and doesn't let defenders into his pads. Really does nice work running opponents right out of the play and pancaking them.
Size: Williams has a solid frame and a powerful built. He's not trim and cut like Bruce Campbell, but he doesn't need to be. He has long arms, but could use them better.
Strength: Has good functional playing strength but isn't a mammoth of a tackle. Could stand to get stronger, which would help him against power rushers. Williams has had trouble in the past with aggressive power rushers who can push him backward.
Technique: Where Williams gets knocked behind someone like Russell Okung is in his technique. Williams lunges at defenders too much and doesn't always get proper arm extension. Goes in reverse too much instead of just shuffling his feet laterally.
Final word: Williams' draft stock fluctuated for a lot of 2009 after switching from right tackle to left tackle. Although the left is where Williams has said he wants to play, he's clearly better on the right side. Before his senior year, he started 25 games on the right side and was one of the best blockers in the country.
Starting 13 games at left tackle, Williams was spotty. At the beginning of the season, he was erratic, particularly in his pass blocking. Williams wasn't fundamentally sound and got beat too often by rushers who could beat him to the outside. But as the season progressed, Williams clearly became more comfortable on the left side.
Williams played through some nagging injuries during his senior year, which clearly affected his transition to the left side. He sat out a game, but doesn't have an injury history to worry about.
With Williams, a team will get a surefire top right tackle. But if Williams can address some minor technical issues, he has the athleticism to play the left side.
NEW ERA SCOUTING
Awareness/Reaction: Playing at left tackle in 2009, Williams showed he can adjust to quick inside moves. Showed improvement as a senior picking up blitzing linebackers and allowing the guard to switch over to blocking the end. Playing on the right side, Williams was able to rely on his tight end to help, but also not get in his way.
Balance: Has showed he can handle a strong punch without it knocking him around. Stays stationary in his set and is strong enough to maintain his leverage.
Initial quickness: Showed better quickness moving to his right than to his left. Doesn’t get good enough quick depth on his slide move. Sets into his stance fairly quickly and has fast, active hands.
Pass Blocking: Williams was inconsistent in his pass protection in 2009, his first year at left tackle. At times, he was slow to adjust and get set. He works well enough to the outside, but counter moves to the inside gave him trouble. Is a natural knee bender, and has solid agility, so it’s not out of the question that he could stay on the left side.
Pulling/Trapping: Used some on slide blocking and showed the footwork to move around good enough. Although he needs to improve his footwork some, it’s good enough for the few times he’ll probably be asked to pull or trap.
Run Blocking: Played in a man blocking scheme and looked good playing the run. He has a toughness that a lot of this year’s top linemen don’t possess. Williams gets good position and doesn’t let defenders into his pads. Really does nice work running opponents right out of the play and pancaking them.
Size: Williams has a solid frame and a powerful built. He’s not trim and cut like Bruce Campbell, but he doesn’t need to be. He has long arms, but could use them better.
Strength: Has good functional playing strength but isn’t a mammoth of a tackle. Could stand to get stronger, which would help him against power rushers. Williams has had trouble in the past with aggressive power rushers who can push him backward.
Technique: Where Williams gets knocked behind someone like Russell Okung is in his technique. Williams lunges at defenders too much and doesn’t always get proper arm extension. Goes in reverse too much instead of just shuffling his feet laterally.
Final word: Williams’ draft stock fluctuated for a lot of 2009 after switching from right tackle to left tackle. Although the left is where Williams has said he wants to play, he’s clearly better on the right side. Before his senior year, he started 25 games on the right side and was one of the best blockers in the country.
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