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Antonio Williams was selected No. 71 overall by the Commanders in the NFL Draft. Fans are eager to see what he will bring in his rookie year.
antonio williams clemson nfl draft
Editorâs note: Everyoneâs excited about the Commandersâ NFL Draft haul. Rightfully so. That doesnât mean each selection will slot into a prominent role as a rookie. Weâll discuss realistic expectations for each player over the next few days, leading into Commanders rookie minicamp. In this installment, we evaluate the Clemson receiver getting a lot of love from the fan base:
Selection:Â No. 71Â overall
Height/Weight:Â 5-foot-11.5/187Â pounds
What Adam Peters said: âIâd describe him as just a great athlete. Great athlete, really fast and heâs fast in a lot of different ways. Heâs fast at the 40 time. The GPS is really, really high on him. End game. And then the old scoutâs eye, you see him, he plays fast and he plays at a high level. Heâs an NFL route runner. He can win versus press. He can beat man coverage. We really like the versatility of him as well. He can play inside. He played a lot inside this year. He played outside last year, and thatâs really the thing that differentiated him from a lot of guys is winning outside and winning against really good players outside, especially in 2024. So, NFL route runner thereâs just a lot of really, really good things about him and just an all-around great package.â
What Antonio Williams said: âIâm just a smooth operator out there on the field, whether thatâs running a route, making somebody miss, making an acrobatic catch. I just play real smooth out there and just have a lot of confidence in myself and what I can do.â
Prominent members of the position group*: Terry McLaurin, Luke McCaffrey, , Dynami Brown,
Antonio Williams was drafted in the third round as the 71st overall pick.
Antonio Williams plays as a wide receiver for the Commanders.
Expectations for Antonio Williams include contributing to the team's offense, though his exact role may vary.
Antonio Williams played college football at Clemson University.
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*Note: Taken fromMark Tylerâs way-too-early 53-man depth chart
**Perfect-world expectations:**Williams follows Terry McLaurinâs footsteps as a third-round pick who bursts onto the scene as a true instant-impact rookie.
The Clemson product could prove capable of besting NFL coverage on a regular basis and find himself heavily involved in the offense both from the slot and outside. Heâll need to be a quick study learning a new offense to earn that role, which is possible considering Peters has lauded Williamsâ football IQ. If he can process fast and play fast, Williams should be a force.
Building trust with quarterback Jayden Daniels during training camp could lead to a high target count and a solidified role as the No. 2 receiver behind McLaurin, especially if Washington doesnât add Brandon Aiyuk or Jauan Jennings to the position group.
That would add long-term stability to the receiver corps, something Washington desperately needs.
**Real-world expectations:**Playing receiver in the NFL is hard. Going from college to the pros is one of the toughest transitions of any non-quarterback position. Knowledge, precision and physical skills must combine to beat NFL coverage, and that doesnât always come together right away. Thatâs often true for first-round picks and regularly the case for those taken later.
Thatâs what makes McLaurinâs rookie season rare. We therefore shouldnât hold those expectations over Williams. Itâs fair to expect him to provide production in the slot, even if that comes a few weeks into the regular season. As our Jamual Forrest explains in this film breakdown, Williams is a quality route runner with good releases and the technical skill to make plays in this league. He should do that as a rookie, even if his catch volume and overall totals wonât be as high as they will down the road.
What are your expectations for Antonio Williams in his rookie year? Add them and a stat line â what the heck? â to the comments below.