NFL Draft 2019 Scouting Report: ILB Quincy Williams, Murray State

*Our LB grades can and will change as more information comes in from Pro Day workouts, leaked Wonderlic test results, etc. We will update ratings as new info becomes available.

 -- ‘Quick hit’ scouting is a quick publishing of shorthand notes I had from watching 2-4 games of activity on a prospect this week, and with me already knowing the measurables and where the prospect was drafted. Also, with me having done some brief tape study/work on them and having a computer scouting model grade on them pre-Draft. With the ‘quick hit’, I wanted to do an abridged re-look at certain prospects, post-draft, for any numbers of reasons. -- 

Why a re-look here? It was easy to schedule time with Quincy Williams, because I didn’t have him as a graded prospect pre-Draft. His Pro Day info hit late in the process and didn’t really jump off the screen…a small linebacker/big safety who had a nice year in FCS in 2018 moving to linebacker but was just ‘OK’ (statistically) prior years as an FCS safety. Who cares, right? Well, Jacksonville cared…cared enough to make him a #98 pick overall, when most teams didn’t have him as a top 200-300 player. He didn’t get my attention to even grade. 

I usually have 3-5 prospects each year that get drafted that I didn’t get to grade for various reasons. I grade 800+ prospects, so I catch almost all of them…but I ended missing a few. Usually, I miss them because they have nothing of value that I see to look at any deeper. Occasionally, I just don’t have the awareness to grade them. I think we just missed Williams’s existence more than anything else. Whatever happened, I had no grade or awareness.

When I have no grade, I just arrogantly assume it’s because there’s not much there. When the Jags made this pick, I mocked it and moved on and forgot about it…but I did want to see what they saw. Why would they make him a top 100 pick when no one else was close to that on him? He wasn’t a Senior Bowl or Combine invite, not even a watch list for any of that. He was pretty far off the grid. 

Like I said, on rare occasion, I don’t have pre-Draft grades on eventually drafted guys. Then I fix that post-draft. And…sometimes, I call things dumb relying on my track record, but then it turns out – I’m the ignorant idiot. And that’s what we have here. 

My Lord, what an inside linebacker prospect. How the hell did this guy fly under everyone’s radar? Kudos to the Jaguars for this one…not only on him but they placed a big bet/put their money where their mouth was. And it makes sense to me now. 

Here are my ‘Quick Hit’ notes as I took them…

 -- 11 games, 111 tackles in 2018…but not much activity prior to that. He was a starter/OK numbers before 2018 but nothing like you’d expect from an FCS player who just got drafted like a top prospect. 

 -- Brother of Quinnen Williams, Clemson top prospect in 2019.

 -- Right away, watching his highlight reel…man, what a hitter. My attention has been had now.

 -- (minutes later) Best tackler in this draft, bar none. Maybe Devin Bush is better when he gets to people. Quincy Williams is an animal. He has no fear, hesitation…he just drives through a ballcarrier like ‘The Waterboy’. 

You tell me how to best describe it? 

That tackle at the 1:14 mark is…wow…

YouTube: https://youtu.be/5UFseMzfZk8

If an NFL player dies via tackle…I think Quincy Williams will be the convicted murderer. 

Not of these tackles are cheap or opportunistic…they are raw pursuit and then a technique you could show to young football players and say, “Tackle people like that.”

 -- OK, he has great highlights…but is he not much otherwise? 

Going to watch some of his D1 game vs. Kentucky and his SE Missouri St. game where his team was down 31-0 at the half and came back to take a lead late, lost the lead and then won the game on the ensuing kickoff after that score. 

 -- Too much of Williams dropping into coverage…he has safety tendencies. He might have to be taught to play inside linebacker at the next level. Not sure if it’s him or the coaching/scheme/role he’s asked to play.

 -- His tracking ability, his ability to get through traffic and find the ballcarrier is solid/instinctual. 

 -- He isn’t lazy or out of control just looking for highlight hits…he just plays his position, and it was mostly OLB and a lot of covering receivers with that. What a shame/waste of his talent.

 -- A non-factor in the Kentucky game, but mostly the team was blown out by the Wildcats and I think Williams didn’t play much in the 2nd-half. 

 -- Was fine against SE Missouri St. but mostly going back in coverage and getting taken out of the play. I wish I saw more of him as an inside linebacker. 

 -- Not sure if he is just dumb or doing his job, but you’d think you’d want him to be playing inside more? That wasn’t the case on what I saw. I think he was put outside by design…in pass coverage modes a lot.

 -- The Murray State head coach loves Williams. Loves that he redshirted and sat and learned early and would work with the offense to learn more about football. Loves that he is laser focused and passionate about the game and his craft. You could tell the coach really thinks a lot of him. No perceived ‘issues’ here.

 -- I also thought his coach used him all wrong for years…that’s why he flew under radars, to a degree. 

 -- There seems like a lot of promise here, but this Murray State scheme and his role…I wish I could see him in a different system to scout more. What I did see has me tantalized. Seems like a smart player not impulsive. 

Quincy Williams, Through the Lens of Our ILB Scouting Algorithm:

 -- 10 or more tackles in a game in seven of his 11 games in 2018. First year as a linebacker. 

 -- 17 tackles in a game against Jacksonville State…13 solo tackles. 

 -- Only 57 tackles in 11 games as a starting safety in 2017 season. 

 -- Measurables:

5’10.5”/225, 9.8” hands, 33” arms, 80.8” wingspan

4.59 40-time, 2.64 20-yard, 1.62 10-yard

4.41 shuttle, 7.25 three-cone

17 bench reps, 39.5” vertical, 10’4” broad jump

The Historical ILB Prospects to Whom Quincy Williams Most Compares Within Our System:

Well, here’s the problem. This is a system collection of a lot ‘big hitters’ who could just track ballcarriers and obliterate them in college…and many of them went on to special teams in the NFL, and not fulfilling any promise as real ILB stars. 

Jeremiah George is a great comp…and a bad omen/comp for Quincy’s future. Jeremiah George looked great to me, but never got any real chance in the NFL.  

*A score of 8.00+ is where we see a stronger correlation of LBs going on to become NFL good/great/elite. A score of 10.00+ is more rarefied air in our system, and indicates a greater probability of becoming an NFL elite LB.

All of the LB ratings are based on a 0–10 scale, but a player can score negative, or above a 10.0 in certain instances.

Tackle-Strength Metrics = A combination of several physical and performance measurements. An attempt to classify the LB prospect's ability to stop the run, as well as to gauge how physical the player is, and the likelihood of higher tackle counts in the NFL. All based on profiles of LBs historically.

Speed-Agility Metrics = A combination of several speed, agility, and size measurements...as well as game performance data to profile a LB for speed/agility based on LBs historically. A unique measuring system to look for LBs that profile for quickness, pass-coverage ability, and general ability to cover more ground.

2019 NFL Draft Outlook:

*Drafted #98 by Jacksonville* 

NFL Outlook:   

One thing I like/hope about Williams’s NFL outlook is the Jags put a lot of muscle on this pick. They are going to want it to payoff to look like geniuses. Williams wasn’t a 5th+ round guy easy to ignore for coaches. 

In addition, you have to like Telvin Smith taking a leave of absence and opening up a sudden HUGE opportunity for Williams. I’m not sure if he’s ready this fast, but if he is…he could be a Week 1 starter and the future for the Jags. He is so raw, he may need more time to ‘bake’.

I’m very excited but also need to cool my jets to not get dazzled by big hits…but his hits seem to be more legit and not for show. I’ve definitely gone from ‘who?’ to ‘whoa’?

5/27/2019