Leonard Williams was the highest ranked prospect on the Pro Player Insiders Draft Board and widely considered to be one of the top players drafted tonight in the 2015 NFL Draft. Prior to the draft, he met with four NFL teams: the Jacksonville Jaguars, Washington Redskins, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets.
Pro Player Insiders spoke with Williams at the 2015 NFL Draft Youth Football Clinic in Chicago’s Grant Park on Wednesday and we wrote about it here. Williams has now been selected by the New York Jets, one of the teams he met with prior to the draft.
Williams will fit in nicely with new Jets head coach Todd Bowles and the defense he will run with defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers. With Mohammed Wilkerson skipping offseason workouts in search of a new deal and trade rumors swirling, the Williams pick makes perfect sense from a team building standpoint as well. Will Wilkerson be traded now? Rumors abound there are teams interested.
For the Jets and Williams, its a marriage made in defense heaven. Bowles played safety in the league and his defenses as a coach have been excellent. With Williams, he gets a young player still growing but already a beast at the age of twenty. With or without Wilkerson, the Jets get a player they can plug in and play early on.
Previously at Pro Player Insiders
Soft Spoken Leonard Williams Tops PPI’s Draft List
Leonard Williams is the highest ranked prospect on the Pro Player Insiders Draft Board and widely considered to be one of the top players drafted tonight in the 2015 NFL Draft. Leonard is a popular interview among media members and lines form whenever he is made available to the media.
Leonard Williams is popular pic.twitter.com/LCEMEWJet6
— TheSharonaShow (@SportsbySharona) April 29, 2015
Pro Player Insiders had an opportunity to speak with Williams at the 2015 NFL Draft Youth Football Clinic in Chicago’s Grant Park on Wednesday. We came away very impressed.
By all appearances, the attention doesn’t faze Williams. He is soft spoken and humble and deflected questions about whether he should be the top overall selection as the 2015 NFL Draft convenes tonight at Draft Town in Chicago, Illinois. He dreamed of one day being drafted into the league but never in his wildest dreams did he expect to receive such attention.
Williams is a young player who has the talent and attitude to become a franchise player for a team. He is only twenty years old and still growing physically. Already 6′ 5″ and weighing in at 291 pounds, that prospect should frighten teams that don’t have the foresight to select him. Factor in his measurables including his hand size and you can readily see why he is so highly rated.
When asked about whether he should go number one overall, he handily deflected the question and talked about what an honor it was to be included among the other talent at the draft.
Williams has enjoyed the draft process although he understandably finds it grueling. He is excited to find out who the lucky team will be who uses its first round selection on the outstanding defensive lineman from the University of Southern California. When asked if he would sleep the night before the draft, he said he would be so nervous and excited he probably wouldn’t. Williams is virtually a lock to go in the top 5 picks to teams in need of an infusion of talent.
Williams motto is “take one step at a time” and that should serve him well in his future NFL career. Focusing on doing what is required and in front of him has led him to where he is now and that’s one of the most highly coveted players in this years draft.
While aware that three of the top prospects won’t be attending, Williams is excited to attend the draft in Chicago and realize his dream. To be able to walk across the stage and shake NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s hand is a dream come true for the young player.
Williams has met with many teams and many others have shown interest. His mother grew up as an Oakland Raiders fan and he would love to stay in California and play for such a passionate fanbase. Still, he is excited about other teams also and will give his all to whatever team selects him in the first round.
Will it be the Tennessee Titans who though highly enough of Williams to meet with him at the combine and host him for a visit in Tennessee? They also hooked him up with another former USC defensive lineman and current rising star for the Titans in Jurrell Casey. Williams said he would consider it an honor to be coached by such a legend as new Titans Assistant Head Coach Dick Lebeau.
We will know soon enough where Williams lands and his family will be in attendance with full support. Pro Player Insiders wishes him good luck tonight as his NFL dream is finally realized. You can follow Williams on twitter at @LWtrojan94 and on Instagram at @leonardwilliams. Follow Pro Player Insiders on twitter at @PlayerInsiders and you can follow Sharona on twitter at @SportsBySharona.
