Who is new Commanders WR Antonio Williams?

Who is Antonio Williams?

Williams was drafted Friday night by the Washington Commanders with the No. 71 pick overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He is a receiver with good quickness who can find the end zone. This is illustrated by the fact that Williams had 11 receiving touchdowns in Clemson's 2024 season, when he also had 75 total receptions for 904 receiving yards.

Logan Paulsen says the offense at Clemson was a mess last season, and so Williams' production suffered, and he had a down year compared to 2024. Williams thus had 55 receptions for 604 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns in 2025. "He can play both inside and outside," according to Paulsen. Paulsen said look for Williams to be the receiver in motion, running crossers, and also choice routes on third down. "This is really, almost a perfect fit for what they are looking to do here offensively," said Paulsen.

Though Williams' numbers were down in the 2025 season, his NFL Scouting Combine numbers were very good. He measured in at 5-11 and weighed 187 pounds. He can scoot, running a 40 in 4.41 seconds. Compared to others, this time was good enough to place at the 82nd percentile. His vertical leap was even better, rated at a 92nd percentile.

Williams finished his Clemson career with 2,336 yards, 21 TDs, plus 2 passing and 2 rushing TDs.

This is scheduled to be the only selection for the Commanders on Friday night, as Washington had traded its round-two choice to the Houston Texans for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Tunsil had the best year of any Commander and has already been signed to an extension as a result.

Saturday, the Commanders are not scheduled to have a draft pick in the fourth round (part of the Laremy Tunsil trade), but they do have picks 147, 187, 209, and 233 remaining.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders: Who is wide receiver Antonio Williams?