Saints Draft Utah S Marcus Williams in 2nd round

The Saints continue to ignore their pass rushing needs and passing on Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson both at 42 was a head scratcher for me. But safety is a need and Marcus Williams is a good one, so the pick is solid. Williams is a center field playmaker that allows Vonn Bell and Kenny Vaccaro to play closer to the line of scrimmage and do what they do best. Williams is undeniably a Jairus Byrd replacement. Of the 3 picks so far one things is clear – the Saints have taken really good football players with impeccable tape. You look at all these guys and their athleticism and technique are top notch. Hopefully pass rush comes into laser focus in round 3.

Here is Williams’s write up on NFL.com:

Strengths – Athletic and instinctive from high safety. Easy hips with smooth feet in his backpedal. Able to play from deep positioning and still make plays on the ball. Good recognition of quarterback’s intentions gives him a head-start on the throw. Has desired open-field speed to close from hash to sideline. Former basketball player and high-jumper with the leaping ability and timing to win the 50-50 throws. Posted 10 interceptions against 44 targets over last two seasons. Productive tackler and careful finisher. Steps downhill against the run. Leverages ball carriers to the sideline and rarely lets him cross back over into middle of the field. Gathers feet and widens out to unfurl a wider tackling net.

Weaknesses – Needs to add some muscle on his slim frame. More of a finesses safety than hitter. Takes the worst of it in one-on-one tackles. Can be dragged along for additional yardage. Plays with a hitch in his transition from backpedal. Occasionally follows quarterback’s eyes too carefully and can be manipulated.

Bottom Line – Ball-hawking free safety who has outstanding ball skills and has shown a propensity for causing turnovers. He can play from a high centerfield spot and utilizes his instincts to swoop down and challenge throws. He’s able to get running backs down, but he’s not physical enough to be a combination safety. NFL teams love defensive backs with athletic traits, instincts and ball skills. If he works out well before the draft, he should move up team boards.