Jonah Williams to the Bills?
Jonah Williams to the Bills?
Hey everyone, what do the Bills need most in regards to their ninth overall pick? Ask ten different people and you might get ten different answers. Some will say a Wide Receiver while others will say a Tight End. Some will say Defensive Tackle, but above all, most people around Western New York and the league will narrow Buffalo’s need down to an anchor for the offensive line.
In Football, the game lives and dies with the front seven. Think a quarterback is the most important position on the field? Watch how inept a team becomes when a starting center goes down. A center reads the offense, shouts instructions to the QB and of course, snaps the ball. Sadly, it doesn’t appear the likes of Mike Webster or Bulldog Turner are appearing in this year’s draft.
So, if the Bills decide to take an offensive lineman with that ninth overall pick, most are suggesting they’ll be going after Jonah Williams from Alabama. If the Bills do select Williams, I feel he will be a far cry from another Williams the Bills selected 17 years ago. Most Bills fans still remember how far back the drafting of Mike Williams sent the Bills but if 17 years isn’t enough time to recover then that says an awful lot about this team.
When talking about Jonah Williams, pundits are quick to point out his short arms. Are we really going to judge a man based on the length of his arms? I admit it does help but doesn’t proper footwork, football IQ and strength play more of a role? Admittedly, it appears Williams does need to beef up as far as mass is concerned but this guy just spent the last three years at a program that prides itself on its defense. Doesn’t that kind of practice increase stock value and interest?
Forget what the pundits say, Jonah Williams has the potential to become an anchor for any offensive line in the coming years. So he doesn’t have the size of Jonathon Ogden. Do you know who else had great size? Tony Mandarich? Do you know who Tony Mandarich is? No? That’s okay. Believe me when I say the Packers are still trying to forget.
No, I don’t think Jonah Williams is going to follow in the footsteps of Tony Mandarich. When I read some of the things I’ve read, it appears that Jonah Williams can also be a great guy in the locker room for the Buffalo Bills. Looking at his intangibles, he’s the kind of player the Bills could really use. I looks aren’t everything but it looks like Williams can provide an awful lot for the Bills locker room.
Of all the prospects I’ve covered, Williams and TJ Hockenson are the two I’m most expecting the Bills to take. Between the two of them, I’d rather the Bills take Williams. If “Small Arms” is the biggest criticism these “draft experts” can come up with, then they’re just nitpicking an excellent prospect. Hindsight is 20/20 in regards to selections but if the Bills do select Jonah Williams, I don’t think there will be any regret now or in the future…at least I hope there isn’t.
-By: Thomas P. Braun Jr.