Q&A about Duke Williams

It is time to talk about the 2nd safety (The troublemaker one) the Bills selected in the NFL draft. We are joined by Chris Murray, who is The Nevada Wolf Pack beat writer at the Reno Gazette-Journal. He's going to dish the dirt about Duke Williams.

1) What are his strengths and weaknesses? 

Duke is first and foremost a hard hitter. He plays with no fear and is going to lay the wood on players. That’s a plus, but the downside is the fact he’s not the most sure-handed tackler with form. He has improved as a tackler, but he’s not above average there. He doesn’t have great size, but he does have very good speed. He’s also terrific in special teams and should give the team immediate impact there.

2) The Bills are going to run a very aggressive defense with tons of blitzing and with the safety at times playing close to the box and getting involved in run support, how do you see Williams in that sort of defense?

That style of defense would be conducive to Williams’ strength. He’s best in run defense and has the burst to chase players down. He’ll also put his body on the line, but like I said above isn’t the greatest form tackler. Williams wasn’t used all that often in blitzing situations, although he should have been. He could be a well above average blitzer with his burst and athleticism.

3) Can you describe his differences in run support and pass coverage?

Williams is better in run support than pass coverage. He can fill a gap and deliver a knockout blow or chase down a back from sideline to sideline. In pass coverage, he’s very physical in man to man and has the strength to stymie a receiver at the line of scrimmage. He’s not the best in zone coverage, although he does have good hands and can be a play-maker through the air.

4) The Bills have always seemed to have issues with covering TEs, can Williams help out in that regard?

As noted above, he’s physical at the line of scrimmage in man-to-man schemes and can muscle up against tight ends. The big issue here would be his size. He’s only 5-11, so most tight ends will have five or six inches on Williams. That could hurt in jump-ball situations.

5) Can Williams be an NFL starter? If so, why?

Yes. I think he can. He’s going to provide some good things as a run defender and isn’t a horrible pass defender. The Bills could use a good strong safety to pair with Byrd and Williams could be that player down the line.

6) I've read he can play multiple positions in the backfield, do you see him playing CB? Why?

He never played cornerback in high school or college, so that might be a stretch. He has the speed to keep up with wide receivers, but I’m not sure the technique is there. Turning Williams into a coverage guy would negate his best skills, which is his ball hunting, play-making ability and ability to deliver some blows in the run game.