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New York Giants Draft Prospect: SAF James Williams

Originally posted on FanNation Giants Country
By Nick Falato | Last updated 2/9/24

James Williams, DS

Height: 6’4
Weight: 230 lbs.
Hands: 9 2/8”
Arms: 33 ⅛”
Wingspan: 79⅝”
Class: Junior
School: Miami
Stats

A highly regarded five-star prospect out of the illustrious American Heritage High School in Opa Locka, Florida, where he was the fourth Floridian prospect and the first safety during the 2021 recruiting class. Williams was pursued by most football powerhouse schools and decided to stay in Florida and play for the Hurricanes.

Miami ran a lot of two-read coverages - which is a match defense used by the new Giants’ defensive coordinator Shane Bowen. Due to his unique build, Williams was aligned all across the defense. His tackling suffered the further he was from the line of scrimmage; he had a missed tackle rate of 17.4% through three seasons at Miami. He attended the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he operated as a safety and a linebacker.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Summary

Williams massive frame, wingspan, and physical nature suggest he could thrive in the correct defensive sub-package system as a BIG DIME or BIG NICKLE Linebacker who is closer to the line of scrimmage. For a safety, his eyes were above-average in the box, and he displayed some ability to scrape and locate before delivering a huge hit. Still, he’s not the smoothest athlete in his transitions and his tackling was marginal. He’s a developmental defender who has a ton of upside, but some limiting factors that need to be corrected.

GRADE: 6.19

This article first appeared on FanNation Giants Country and was syndicated with permission.

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