pick 164: RB Kyren Williams

Kyren Williams

Height: 5-9, Weight: 194

Nice fit for one of the draft’s most complete runners. Not a speedster by any stretch. But built low to the ground with quick feet and plus contact balance. Useful receiver out of the backfield.

from: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/draft-tracker/

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KYREN WILLIAMS | Notre Dame 5092 | 194 lbs. | rSO. St. Louis, Mo. (St. John Vianney)
8/26/2000 (age 21.67) #23

BACKGROUND: Kyren Williams, who is one of three children, grew up in the St. Louis area and started playing flag football in first grade and tackle football in third grade. After attending a public middle school, he enrolled at St. John Vianney High, an all-boys Catholic school in Kirkwood, Mo., and the alma mater of former NFL quarterback Trent Green. Despite missing part of his sophomore season with a hip pointer, Williams led the team to the 2016 state championship, mostly as a slot receiver. He moved to more of a backfield role as a junior and finished with 922 rushing yards, 774 receiving yards and 34 total touchdowns, adding 37 tackles, 3.0 sacks and four interceptions on defense as a safety and linebacker. Williams led Vianney to the 2018 Class 5 state title as a senior (the school’s second in three years), rushing for a state championship game-record 286 yards. He rushed for 2,035 yards as a senior, recorded 55 catches for 725 yards and scored 40 total touchdown, adding 92 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks and eight interceptions on defense. He also had a passing touchdown as he earned 2018 Class 5 offensive player of
the year honors. Williams finished his career with several school records, including career touchdowns (112), receptions (204), receiving yards (2,696) and interceptions (13). He finished second in school history in career rushing yards (3,947) and career total yards (6,643). A four-star recruit out of high school, Williams was the No. 24 running back in the 2019 recruiting class and the No. 6 recruit in the state of Missouri (Alabama WR
Jameson Williams was No. 1). Kyren Williams started to receive scholarship offers as a sophomore and narrowed down his final three to Michigan, Missouri and Notre
Dame. Williams always gravitated toward the Irish and voluntarily took extra classes at St. Louis Community College prior to his senior year of high school so he could enroll early in South Bend in January 2019. His father (Larry) played linebacker at Northern Illinois. His uncle (James Gregory) was a nose tackle at Alabama and was a member of the 1992 national championship team. His uncle (Darren Holmes) was a defensive lineman at Kansas State in the early 1990s. His grandfather (Kenneth Gregory) was a defensive back at Missouri (1970-73). His younger sister (Grace) is a freshman lacrosse player at Missouri Western. Williams elected to skip his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the 2022 NFL Draft. He also opted out of Notre Dame’s 2021 bowl game.

YEAR (GP/GS) CAR YDS AVG TD REC YDS AVG TD NOTES
2019: (4/0) 4 26 6.5 0 1 3 3.0 0 Redshirted
2020: (12/12) 211 1,125 5.3 13 35 313 8.9 1 Freshman All-American; Second Team All-ACC; ACC Rookie of the Year; Led team in rushing
2021: (12/12) 204 1,002 4.9 14 42 359 8.5 3 Led team in rushing; Team captain
Total: (28/24) 419 2,153 5.1 27 78 675 8.7 4
HT WT ARM HAND WING 40-YD 20-YD 10-YD VJ BJ SS 3C BP
COMBINE 5092 194 28 5/8 9 69 7/8 4.65 2.69 1.57 32 9’8” – – – (no shuttles or bench press – choice)
PRO DAY 5091 199 28 3/8 8 3/4 70 1/8 4.66 2.58 1.62 – – 4.33 7.07 – (stood on Combine jumps; no bench)

STRENGTHS: Short, compact body type … runs low to the ground with natural balance to pinball off contact … takes quick, controlled steps to clear expiring holes and
cut away from trouble … stays patient behind his blocks as an inside runner … trusts his eyes to navigate through traffic … not a forceful runner, but will pump his legs
through contact and step out of tackle attempts … quick, reliable hands as a pass catcher to snatch the football in stride (42 catches and only one drop in 2021) … has the quick feet to beat press from the slot or separate mid-route … gutsy in blitz pickup, squaring and striking defenders … averaged 10.8 yards as the featured punt returner in 2021 (14/151/0) … goal-oriented individual with a long list of references ready to glow about his character (voted a team captain as a sophomore) … durable runner with back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons and no major injuries while averaging 20.5 offensive touches per game the past two seasons.

WEAKNESSES: Below average long-speed and won’t out-run NFL defensive backs … disappointing testing results at the NFL Combine … stretch runs to the perimeter
will be tougher in the NFL … doesn’t have push-the-pile power as an inside runner … lacks shifty creativity in the open field … tends to lose momentum out of his cuts … too easily tripped up by ankle tackles … his ball security must improve, with eight fumbles over the past two seasons … willing in pass protection, but gave up 27 pressures over the past two seasons because of his lack of size and consistent technique.

SUMMARY: Williams earned the starting role the past two seasons in offensive coordinator Tommy Rees’ zone-based scheme. He was a slot receiver before he was a running back in high school and proved himself as an all-purpose weapon for the Irish (was the only FBS player in 2021 to surpass 1,000 yards rushing, 350 yards receiving and 100 yards as a return man). Williams is highly effective on counters and cutbacks with the plant-and-go quickness to make strong cuts in any direction. He has limited inside power, but is a problem-solving runner thanks to his sharp footwork and blend of patience and decisiveness. Overall, Williams is an average athlete and ideally projects as more of a complimentary back in the NFL, but he is an elite competitor with the darting quickness and pass-catching skills to be a third-down weapon. He shows some similarities to New England Patriots RB James White.

GRADE: 4th-5th Round