What can Commanders expect from Antonio Williams in this rookie year?

*Note: Taken fromMark Tyler’s way-too-early 53-man depth chart

**Perfect-world expectations:**Williams follows Terry McLaurin’s 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. He’ll need to be a quick study learning a new offense to earn that role, which is possible considering Peters has lauded Williams’ 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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t always come together right away. That’s often true for first-round picks and regularly the case for those taken later.

That’s what makes McLaurin’s rookie season rare. We therefore shouldn’t hold those expectations over Williams. It’s 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 won’t 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 — what the heck? — to the comments below.