Defensive tackle | Alabama | Redshirt sophomore

Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 303 pounds

College Stats

2018: Started all 15 games; recorded 71 tackles (45 solo), 8.0 sacks, 19.5 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up and 1 safety; received the Outland Trophy, presented annually to the FBS' top interior lineman (offense or defense); unanimous First-Team All-American; named First-Team All-SEC by the Associated Press as well as coaches; finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award

Career: 15 of 29 games played for Alabama over two seasons; recorded 91 tackles (56 solo), 10 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, 1 pass broken up and 1 safety; played in every game in 2017 after redshirting for the 2016 season

Profile

Summary: A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Williams was a unanimous four-star recruit out of Wenonah High School.

After redshirting in 2016, Williams appeared in every game during the 2017 season.

Williams became a key part of the Crimson Tide defense in 2018, making 15 starts and leading the team with 19.5 tackles for loss.

He was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week and the team's defensive player of the week after leading the unit in "production points" and totaling six tackles (2.0 for loss). The Crimson Tide limited the Bulldogs to just 44 yards rushing and 169 yards of total offense.

NFL analyst Lance Zierlein listed Williams' strengths, including that he has "adequate strength and body control as a two-gapper" and "gets eyes around blocker and spies on ball carrier."

"Williams' hands, feet and overall movement are extremely efficient, and he combines those features with short-area burst to create instant wins at the point of attack to propel him to the football," Zierlein said. "His play strength is good, but his lack of mass and length will show up at times against NFL competition. Despite having just a single season of headline production, his instincts, quickness and athleticism are projectable play traits that should allow for continued production against both the run and pass on the next level. Williams is an instant starter with Pro Bowl potential."

Click **here** to read Williams' full profile on NFL.com.

Stacking up: NFL Media analyst **Bucky Brooks** and The Athletic's **Dane Brugler** each listed Williams as this year's top defensive tackle. Daniel Jeremiah ranked Williams second overall in his list of top 50 prospects heading into the 2019 NFL Draft; Williams' position didn't change in Jeremiah's **post-combine rankings**.

"As a pass rusher, he explodes off the ball, maintains leverage and pushes his opponent into the lap of the quarterback. He also uses a violent club/swim move," Jeremiah said. "Williams is constantly double-teamed, but he still finds a way to generate pressures and sacks. Against the run, he plays with a low pad level, locks his hands inside and violently sheds blocks to pursue the ball carrier. Overall, this is a dominant player who's capable of emerging as a premier interior defensive lineman very early in his NFL career."

A well-rounded player: Williams was asked by a media member at the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine about falling in love with the game of football.

"I was 6 years old when I first started playing. At first it was just a hobby and wanting to win and just show off and dominate people," Williams said. "But now I've grown a massive love for the game. Just little things, like how I can take my 40 speed from such-and-such number down in a certain [amount of time].

"I love and embrace the technique of football, the different calibers of football and going against the competition level in football," he continued. "Every week, you might go against the best of the best. This might be the best guard you go against this week, and then the next week this might be the best tackle you go against. So learning how to defeat those guys, learning those guy's tendencies, is what I really love about football. And winning in general."