Kyren Williams NFL Draft Profile
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Kyren Williams Scouting ReportWilliams stands at 5'9", 195 pounds. Physically, he doesn’t fit the workhorse mold that some former Notre Dame RBs — like Josh Adams and Dexter Williams — have filled in the past. Nevertheless, Williams produced like a workhorse in 2020, and he has an amalgamation of traits that demands he receives ample opportunities. He is a stellar athlete. The Notre Dame RB possesses searing explosiveness downfield with wicked short-area burst. He’s explosive out of cuts and shifty and light on his feet. His direction changes are smooth and sudden, and he transfers his weight effortlessly when eluding tacklers. Furthermore, Williams owns exceptional lateral twitch and agility, and his hips are fluid in space. He can disrupt tackling angles and extend plays with his ability to shift back and forth laterally. Williams is agile and explosive, but he maximizes his physical foundation with intangible traits. The Notre Dame RB has good footwork, approaching holes with solid vision both at the line and at the second level. He flashes anticipation with his cuts, and he can divert course quickly as plays develop. In addition to his vision and footwork, Williams is a steely competitor. In fact, one of the most impressive parts of Williams’ scouting report might be his ability in pass protection. The Notre Dame RB is a willing blocker who throws himself at defenders. He keeps his eyes and feet active when protecting the quarterback, and he’s not afraid to step in and take on the full force of a blitzing linebacker. With his short-area burst, he patrols the pocket as a blocker, and he takes pride in protecting his QB. As his blocking utility proves, Williams is an all-out competitor that’s fairly versatile. He flashes upside as a receiver with his agility and explosiveness. Additionally, Williams has stellar leg churn through contact. Moreover, he plays with exceptional lean and isn’t too upright as a runner. That allows him to channel his explosiveness into force in certain situations. |
Areas for ImprovementWilliams is an NFL Draft highlight factory with his burst and agility. However, as exciting as he is, he’s not an entirely universal playmaker — at least not yet. Williams’ frame isn’t powerful or forceful, and he doesn’t consistently work through contact. Although his explosiveness can be a viable conduit, the Notre Dame RB doesn’t bring a ton of momentum when lowering his shoulder. He has a reasonably compact frame and does flash contact balance occasionally, but he can build himself up a bit more. At this point, even if he shows it in flashes, Williams doesn’t have overwhelming contact balance. When met with hits at the line, he doesn’t quite have the tools to turn losses into gains. And although he can prolong the inevitable with his agility, Williams tends to work backward to stay on his feet. In doing so, he only digs a deeper hole for himself, sacrificing yardage trying to avoid direct contact. Because of his inconsistency against contact, Williams needs a little bit of space to gear up and evaluate his options. Additionally, while he possesses outstanding vision, he sometimes goes on auto-pilot when approaching the trenches, counting on his explosiveness to carve out a path. He can prematurely lower his shoulder at times as well. This lessens his balance downfield and makes him easier to bring down. |
Kyren Williams Career at Notre DameWilliams came to Notre Dame with a frame ready for college football. He boasted a 34.5-inch vertical out of high school before taking on college training programs, so his natural athleticism generated excitement. Even so, Williams had to wait a bit for his chance to start at Notre Dame. In his first season, the Missouri native only carried the ball 4 times for 26 yards. He kept his redshirt eligibility as a result, returning in 2020 as a redshirt freshman.. Ahead of the 2020 season, Williams earned the starting running back role for the Fighting Irish. Expectations were high for a Notre Dame offense with long-time starter Ian Book and three future 2021 NFL Draft picks on the line. But at the end of the year, Williams, the newly anointed starter, ended up being one of the most exciting pieces of Notre Dame’s playoff squad. Williams broke 1,000 yards, rushing for 1,125 yards and 13 touchdowns on 211 carries. He also accrued 313 yards and a score on 35 receptions, showing off his receiving upside. For his efforts, Williams earned second-team All-ACC honors. Additionally, he garnered recognition as a Freshman All-American and won ACC Rookie of the Year. |
Jarrett Patterson NFL Draft Player ProfileDynamic ability is never out of style on the offensive side of the ball. Williams no doubt has that going his way in 2021. He can be surgical with how he blasts through thin spaces for solid gains. His mix of explosiveness, agility, and toughness enables him to maximize space whenever he finds it. Although he only has average contact balance, his ability to torpedo downfield and extend his rushing area is exceptional. It’s not a perfect comparison by any means — few comparisons are — but some aspects of Williams’ scouting report echo Los Angeles Chargers star Austin Ekeler. His short and energetic strides, his torrid short-range explosiveness, and his loose hips in space are all reminiscent of the former undrafted free agent from Western State. They’re very similar size-wise as well — relatively small but compact — and their competitive demeanors carry identical appeal. Williams isn’t close to being the elite receiving option out of the backfield that Ekeler is. Still, Williams does have that upside. He flashes quick, creative releases when he has reps on the outside, and his physical traits are conducive to yards after the catch. If Williams can add a few pounds to his frame and improve his contact balance, he can be a truly game-changing threat on offense. And on top of that, his blocking prowess and classic “lunch pail” mentality are sure to win over coaches. |
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