This is true so the posters who didn't like the pick, not because they didn't like the player, but because they viewed it has positional overkill, shouldn't be criticized for taking that position.I was also against the Williams pick, but no one had a crystal ball to know Richardson would be suspended and White possibly being out for the year. So after all is said, Williams was a good pick. Lets hope he stays healthy and plays at a All-Pro level.
I was always on board with taking Williams if he slid, even when we discussed the possibility in this forum prior to the draft, because I'm a big believer in BPA (within reason, meaning you can get him significant snaps) and also a big believer in the super unit philosophy, i.e. drafting to your strength and turning an already strong unit into a super unit. I also reasoned that even if you stay in the 3-4, a great four man rotation keeps everyone fresh so their play doesn't drop off in the 4th Qtr, but they are still coming hard. Injuries are always an issue in the NFL as well, its a collision sport with massive bodies colliding, so todays strength is tomorrows weakness. So I had a lot of good reasons (in my mind) to draft a talent like Williams if he slid to us at 6, but at the same time I tried to respect the opinions of those who viewed it as overkill.
Lastly, in fairness to Mac and Bowles, in retrospect THEY DID KNOW that Sheldon was in danger of being suspended when we drafted Williams. We didn't know it, but they did. It takes a number of failed tests before you reach the level of suspension, so they had to know Sheldon was a ticking time-bomb.