Dan Quinn has stated that cornerback is a need of the team approaching the 2019 season. It is no way the most glaring weakness of the Falcons, but bolstering an average cornerback room will be in the best interest of the team come draft day. Not to mention, the Falcons have selected at least one cornerback in three out of the four drafts since Dan Quinn took over as head coach. If Greedy Williams is the best player available, according to Thomas Dimitroff’s draft board, then the LSU product would bring outstanding value in the middle of the first round.
Possessing three starting-level cornerbacks, Trufant, Oliver, and Williams compensates for a lackluster pass rush. Dan Quinn is a top defensive mind in the NFL and is now taking full control of the defense. He would be able to make the most out of a secondary that included numerous young assets like Neal, Allen, Trufant, Oliver, Kazee, and potentially Williams. Whether through crafty blitz schemes or allocating more bodies in coverage giving pass rushers extra time to reach the quarterback (i.e., coverage sacks), the Falcons would have the necessary tools on the back-end to get creative with their pass rush.
Greedy is a more feasible option at pick 14 than a situation where Ed Oliver or Devin White falls to Atlanta. Watching Williams play his entire collegiate career at LSU, I can attest to the steady improvement he has shown, developing many more strengths than weaknesses throughout his time with renowned defensive backs coach, Corey Raymond.
His high school and college evaluation are eerily similar, a long corner who excels in press coverage but must add weight to contend with bigger receivers at the next level. Coming out of Shreveport, Greedy weighed 166 lbs. He exits Baton Rouge listed at 185 pounds. Time with Coach Raymond, who has produced 12 NFL defensive backs since 2012 at LSU, has shown refinements in Greedy’s press skills, tackling, bail techniques, and most importantly his football IQ.
Adding the necessary, extra weight showed best in his final game against Ole Miss. He shadowed projected first-round pick DK Metcalf, who is taller and heavier than the best big-bodied receiver in the NFL, Julio Jones. He limited Metcalf to three catches for 37 yards and no touchdowns. On the second play of the game, Greedy was attached to DK’s hip forcing an overthrow and an eventual interception by fellow Tiger, Grant Delpit. Williams also showcased his skills at the LSU five-yard line, where he was physical with Metcalf at the line of scrimmaged and notched a PBU in the end zone.
Many scouts knock the corner for his inability to tackle, but Williams’ willingness to tackle shouldn’t be undervalued either, tallying ten of them against Ole Miss. Size is more of a concern on paper than it is on tape. He has proven the ability to add weight without sacrificing speed (he ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the combine), allowing him to match up with receivers of any size. Opposing arguably the best receiver core in the NFL in Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Mohamed Sanu during practice will only benefit the future first-round pick.
There are always issues with any prospect even the blue-chip players. From watching Greedy Williams, the most evident faults in his game are his break on comeback routes and lateral quickness to follow crossing routes. However, his route recognition is second to none in this draft, which atones for most of his flaws. Dan Quinn has a well-documented infatuation with a long corner that enjoys playing up at the line of scrimmage. That’s what Greedy brings to the table, and his presence would solidify the Falcons secondary for not only this season but the foreseeable future.