Carter's Classroom draft profile: Tim Williams, edge rusher

As we continue our search through the 2017 NFL draft class for the best pass rushers available to the Steelers, we turn our focus to Alabama's Tim Williams.

Williams was a player that was electric for Alabama as he totaled 9.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss in 2015 and nine sacks with 16 tackles for loss in 2016. Those 16 tackles for loss were the fourth most of any defensive player in the SEC last season.

While the numbers alone may not seem amazing, they look even better considering he only played about 60 percent of the snaps at his position in most games.

There are reasons for him not being an every down player, but also plenty of reasons why Alabama could not deny him playing time despite having solid depth at the position.

We get into all that, starting with a review of his combine performance:



Williams ran a 4.68 in the 40-yard dash, finishing with the 10th-fastest time among defensive linemen as well as linebackers. He made a point to show off what he could do out of the three-point stance, as he primarily worked out of a two-point stance at Alabama, and put on a good show in his positional drills.

He also had the eighth-best broad jump with a 124-inch leap, showing off the explosive power he boasts from his lower body. His 6-foot-3, 245-pound frame makes him a good fit for a traditional 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL, and his combine numbers showed that he was not a slacker in the athleticism department.

What Williams had to do at the combine was just show that he's still among the best athletes among the pack of edge rushers in the 2017 class. While he didn't finish in the top five of any of the events he participated in, he managed to sneak into the top 10 for quite a few of them.

That's all he needed to do, because his college tape is full of great highlights for an outside linebacker.

PASS RUSH MOVES

Williams fits the perfect mold of a prototypical edge rusher who could transition into the NFL. He's extremely quick off the ball and couples that with a decent variety of moves to put on offensive tackles.

Watch how he attacks the edge against Mississippi State. You cannot see the full picture thanks to the referee, but if you look closely you can make out that he slaps down the hands of the offensive tackle to give him a clear path to the quarterback:



Williams is often aware of who is opponent is and showed different moves throughout the season to get the job done. Most players who excel as edge rushers in the NCAA rely on their pure athleticism or one specific move to get over on offensive tackles; Williams showed that he can regularly combine both to get the job done.

Watch at how he sets up this swim move to get a sack/fumble against Kentucky. Notice the bend he gets while going to the outside, but how he uses his hands to set up the swim move so he could get to the inside shoulder:


The inside hand of Williams allows him to maintain the leverage of his edge rush position, but also lets him develop an inside route to the quarterback where he can bring his outside arm over the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle and take off after the quarterback.

Williams might boast the best combination of a repertoire in pass rush moves with athleticism in this draft class. He's also fast enough off the ball to chase quicker quarterbacks and maneuver about the backfield when he needs to run down the ball carrier.

AGAINST THE RUN

Williams also displays the solid fundamentals against the run. Here you can see an example of how you want to set the edge against the run and force a running back towards the inside:



Notice how Williams engages with the tackle. He doesn't charge in selfishly or try to be the hero by coming off the edge to get into the backfield, he takes on the contain job and keeps his outside shoulder free to discourage the running back from going off-tackle.

Williams also can explode through the offensive line to make plays on his own to blow up a run play. Watch how he fires off from a three-point stance, exploding into B-gap so quickly that neither the guard nor tackle was able to get any leverage on him:



Williams' quick burst off the snap was such an asset for Alabama to win at the point of attack. It allowed Williams to get into position before his opponents could get set. He combined that with solid fundamentals of using his hands and maintaining good footwork to keep a solid balance at all times and finishing tackles with solid drive at the shoulder level.

Williams also looks to be a patient player when deciphering what the offense is doing. Several plays I came across like the one below showed that he could come off the line and settle down into a solid defensive stance to figure out what was happening and make a play:



Again, Williams quickness off the snap becomes a major asset as it allows him to get into position and set up to be ready for the quicker read plays. The option is a threat that is meant to expose larger outside linebackers in space.

If you recall, this was one of our knocks on Derek Barnett draft profile in his , as he was astute at reading offenses but had problems in space. Williams rarely, if ever, displayed that as a problem in college and even thrived in such opportunities.

STAYS ENGAGED

Even during a play which Williams loses initially, he shows the grit to stick with the play and keep fighting. Take a look at how he does on the edge when he gets driven off the ball, but still manages to locate and wrap the running back to finish the play for only allowing three yards:



A non-schematic point of emphasis that I liked in Williams was how nasty he appeared at times. That's him at the point of attack shoving the running back past the 40 yard line at the end of the above play. He isn't a nice guy on the field, which is something every coach would love to see in their defenders, and especially their pass rushers.

Williams is a player that does not seem to lose focus on a play and stays locked in on what he can do to help his team finish a play.

Watch below how he loses some ground on the edge here, but gets under his opponent, sheds him, and the whole time keeps his head up to find the running back and make an ankle-tackle:



Often you look for hustle players in the later rounds as the early round players can often comprise of more athletic players that don't feel they need to hustle as much to make plays when their athleticism wins enough battles.

The tape on Williams shows that he possesses both traits, making himself a prime candidate that any coach would want based on his tape.

DOWNSIDE

Williams' biggest question marks come from what his record was off the field while at Alabama. Reports have stated that he failed multiple drug tests while on the team, and he was charged with carrying a gun without a permit earlier this season.

There is also the consideration as to why Williams was subbed out of the defense so much while with Alabama. Scouts questioned his ability to grasp the full picture of the defensive scheme. There is a belief that Williams needed the scheme simplified so that he could be effective.

The biggest reason why Williams might have been splitting time could be more to the merit of his replacement, Ryan Anderson, another outside linebacker in the 2017 NFL draft class from Alabama that is said to have an extremely high football IQ.

While Williams' tape makes him look very good and his combine performance backed up his NCAA success, his off-the-field issues and schematic questions could lessen his draft value.

STEELERS STOCK

But of course the main concern with Williams is whether he would be a good fit in the Steelers' defense.

His style of play is the perfect fit for a 3-4 outside linebacker. He's more athletic than Derek Barnett and his combine numbers bolster the notion that he could be a versatile player off the edge.

Combine his athleticism with the natural pass rush abilities seen on his tape and you may have the perfect counterpart for Bud Dupree to bring heat on opposing quarterbacks. Williams' ceiling makes him a candidate who may be too good to pass up.

But the Steelers are a team that has had two consecutive seasons in which multiple star players have missed time because of suspensions. So it would be more than reasonable for them to be wary of drafting another player that could add to that list.

In addition to that concern, Keith Butler's defense is one which is of the most complicated in the NFL and the Steelers require a great deal of communication and pre-snap adjustments. If Williams is a player that actually does have problems figuring out his place in a scheme, that problem along with the worry that he could get himself into more trouble may make him too risky of a candidate.

However my assessment is that the notion that he's unable to comprehend full defensive schemes is overstated. Williams shows a great deal of aggressiveness in his tape and a wide array of techniques at both rushing the passer and defending against the run.

A player who has problems understanding football schematics wouldn't be able to pull off the various techniques and successes that Williams made a regular occurrence with Alabama. I think for what he does, Williams would be just fine making the NFL adjustment.

Williams' draft stock varies from expert to expert; some have him going in the middle of the first round and others have him going towards the end of the second. Williams' issues make for an interesting opportunity for the Steelers.

Should Williams still be around when the Steelers have their first pick at 30th overall, he would be a risky but interesting investment with a high ceiling. However with his stock possibly making him available in the late second, it could afford the Steelers a chance to still snag Williams after picking an inside linebacker with their first pick.

Either way, grabbing Williams could land the Steelers another player that misses time due to NFL rule violations, but also the premier pass rusher that could make the perfect couple with Dupree for the young and developing defense.